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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. suit — clothes
  3. capital — a city
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a great time
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — farmland
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pound — a weight
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — electric
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. charge — in control
  18. field — a subject
  19. capital — money
  20. field — for sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — of water
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pound — for dogs

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