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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ball — a great time
  6. capital — money
  7. staff — a stick
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. capital — a city
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. present — the time now
  15. charge — a price
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. land — ground
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. coach — a trainer

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