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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. kick — in football
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — to get on
  8. charge — electricity
  9. can — a tin
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — to be able to
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. current — happening now
  15. board — a committee
  16. capital — a city
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. perch — the fish
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. trunk — of a tree

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