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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
468
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: charge · mouse · bank · rock · prune · tube · capital · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. tube — the underground
  10. charge — in control
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. prune — to trim
  14. capital — a city
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. rock — music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. capital — money
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — high quality
  23. charge — a price
  24. rock — a stone

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