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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: capital · toast · rush · charge · band · mouse · current · bass

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. charge — a price
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. band — a music group
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. band — a ring
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. current — electric
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. capital — a city
  21. toast — bread
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mouse — the animal
  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