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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. toast — bread
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. scale — size or range
  9. file — a line of people
  10. spring — the season
  11. charge — a price
  12. capital — a city
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. file — a tool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spring — a coil
  17. scale — in music
  18. file — a document
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. charge — in control
  24. spring — of water

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