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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. capital — a city
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chair — a leader
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. charge — in control
  9. capital — money
  10. craft — a skill
  11. toast — bread
  12. sharp — clever
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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