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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. capital — a city
  5. track — a path
  6. spell — a short time
  7. charge — in control
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. spell — letters
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. spell — magic
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. suit — in cards
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. track — a song
  24. charge — a price

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