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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. charge — in control
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. charge — electricity
  5. capital — money
  6. charge — a price
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mate — to breed
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mate — a partner
  19. capital — a city
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. mate — a friend

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