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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — a price
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. capital — money
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a city
  15. charge — electricity
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. charge — in control
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — music

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