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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — a face
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — the sport
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spell — letters
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. spell — a short time
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — to be able to
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spell — magic
  21. capital — a city
  22. charge — a price
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. can — a tin

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