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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 120 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 · capital · bulb · charge · rock · firm · shower · craft

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. capital — money
  4. charge — in control
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — for catching
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. charge — a price
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. charge — electricity
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — a company

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