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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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · net · toast · row · staff · content · charge · wind

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. staff — employees
  3. charge — a price
  4. net — in sport
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. net — after costs
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. staff — a stick
  10. row — a line
  11. capital — money
  12. charge — electricity
  13. row — to paddle
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. net — for catching
  16. content — the amount
  17. capital — a city
  18. wind — moving air
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. content — happy
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wind — moving air
  24. charge — in control

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