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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — soda
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. key — in music
  6. pop — music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. march — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. capital — a city
  12. march — the month
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pit — in a race
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — money
  23. pop — to visit
  24. charge — in control

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