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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. capital — money
  3. spell — letters
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. charge — electricity
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. club — a group
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. charge — a price
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spell — magic
  21. stock — goods
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. capital — a city

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