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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. capital — a city
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fall — the season
  7. net — for catching
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. capital — money
  19. charge — a price
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. charge — in control
  24. fall — to drop

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