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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: spell · spring · capital · cabinet · stand · charge · fan · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. capital — a city
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — magic
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — a price
  14. spring — of water
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — the season
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. capital — money

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