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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. toast — bread
  3. pound — a weight
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rule — a law
  8. charge — in control
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. capital — money
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. charge — electricity
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. capital — a city
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rule — government
  18. pound — for dogs

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