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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: mug · pass · fine · cap · charge · stick · bank · roll

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mug — a face
  3. charge — in control
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mug — a cup
  8. charge — a price
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a hat
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. roll — a list
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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