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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · last · capital · rock · rush · charge · fork · pop

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. suit — in cards
  4. charge — a price
  5. last — finally
  6. pop — music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rock — music
  12. last — final
  13. charge — electricity
  14. suit — to fit
  15. capital — a city
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rock — a stone
  18. capital — money
  19. pop — soda
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. charge — in control
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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