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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. scale — in music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. toast — bread
  6. rock — a stone
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chip — for betting
  10. capital — a city
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. capital — money
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — size or range
  17. last — finally
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. chip — to eat
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — to breed
  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