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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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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: capital · charge · rule · cap · toast · pit · racket · mouse

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cap — of ice
  4. capital — a city
  5. cap — a hat
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pit — in a race
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cap — a lid
  12. toast — bread
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rule — a law
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. capital — money

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