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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: file · drill · dip · capital · clip · charge · rock · toast

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. charge — a price
  4. capital — a city
  5. charge — electricity
  6. drill — army training
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rock — a stone
  10. drill — a practice
  11. charge — in control
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. toast — bread
  14. capital — money
  15. drill — the tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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