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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 116 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: stock · clip · court · charge · pass · ground · snap · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — a price
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. capital — money
  6. ground — the earth
  7. charge — in control
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. clip — a video
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stock — goods
  13. clip — to cut
  14. capital — a city
  15. court — of a king
  16. stock — shares
  17. clip — for paper
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ground — crushed
  21. court — of law
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. snap — to click
  24. ground — a position

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