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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: rock · cap · chip · fork · capital · charge · pop · craft

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rock — music
  5. capital — a city
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chip — to eat
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. charge — in control
  14. pop — to visit
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cap — a hat
  18. craft — boats
  19. chip — for betting
  20. charge — a price
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. rock — a stone

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