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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: pitcher · lash · foot · charge · pop · hide · capital · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pop — music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pop — soda
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. charge — electricity
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. object — an aim
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. charge — in control

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