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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — in control
  5. march — the month
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. march — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. capital — money
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bore — to tire
  15. march — the month
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. capital — a city
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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