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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. capital — a city
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. capital — money
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hand — help
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. charge — in control
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rash — a series
  20. charge — a price
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rash — on the skin

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