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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. capital — a city
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. degree — from a university
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — a price
  8. track — to keep track
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. charge — in control
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — temperature
  18. track — a path
  19. charge — electricity
  20. capital — money
  21. tear — to rip
  22. track — a song
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tear — from crying

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