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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: capital · scale · rock · firm · clip · charge · degree · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. capital — money
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. capital — a city
  10. degree — temperature
  11. charge — a price
  12. firm — a company
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rock — music
  15. degree — from a university
  16. charge — in control
  17. firm — decided
  18. scale — in music
  19. degree — an amount
  20. firm — steady
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — electricity

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