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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. charge — in control
  4. firm — decided
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. capital — a city
  8. mate — a partner
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. swing — to play on
  11. firm — a company
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cap — a lid
  16. swing — music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. firm — steady
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — in golf

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