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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. capital — a city
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. land — ground
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rock — a stone
  16. land — to come down
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — temperature
  23. charge — in control
  24. capital — a big letter

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