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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. capital — money
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. charge — electricity
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. charge — a price
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. capital — a city
  19. mark — a grade
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — high quality
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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