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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: mate · capital · bowl · stem · charge · jam · key · pitch

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. key — in music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. key — the most important part
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. charge — in control
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stem — to come from
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. capital — a city
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. charge — a price
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mate — a partner

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