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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 116 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 · capital · band · charge · ball · sharp · wake · firm

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ball — a dance
  3. band — a music group
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. capital — a city
  6. charge — a price
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. band — a ring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. sharp — clever
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. charge — electricity
  18. firm — a company
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. deal — to handle
  21. capital — money
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. charge — in control
  24. deal — an agreement

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