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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hand — help
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. capital — money
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — in control
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. capital — a city
  23. charge — a price
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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