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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — electricity
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — government
  9. hand — in cards
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. can — a tin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — a price
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. charge — in control
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pound — a weight

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