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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: net · band · capital · club · firm · drill · wind · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. drill — army training
  3. firm — decided
  4. club — a group
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. club — for golf
  8. band — a ring
  9. wind — moving air
  10. net — for catching
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. firm — a company
  14. band — a music group
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. capital — a city
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — steady
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — a price

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