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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · capital · perch · kick · craft · jam · charge · lean

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. capital — money
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — employees
  8. lean — to bend
  9. craft — boats
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — in control
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. staff — employees
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. charge — electricity
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. craft — a skill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. capital — a city
  23. staff — a stick
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com