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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ground — the earth
  4. capital — money
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. capital — a city
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ground — a position
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — in control
  22. wind — moving air
  23. charge — a price
  24. ball — a great time

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