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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. capital — money
  4. court — of law
  5. pit — in a race
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — in control
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. charge — electricity
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — of a king
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. charge — a price
  18. capital — a city
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — for sport

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