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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: cap · roll · suit · row · bark · band · net · charge

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. roll — a cake
  6. cap — a hat
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — in control
  9. row — a line
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. roll — a list
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. suit — in cards
  20. row — to paddle
  21. band — a ring
  22. net — for catching
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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