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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: deal · hand · charge · key · fine · leaves · capital · swing

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — electricity
  4. key — the most important part
  5. swing — to play on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. capital — a city
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. charge — a price
  13. capital — money
  14. hand — in cards
  15. deal — to handle
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — in music
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — to go away

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