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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. staff — a stick
  5. net — for catching
  6. wind — moving air
  7. net — after costs
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — electricity
  12. can — to be able to
  13. capital — a city
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. net — in sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cap — a lid
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — boats

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