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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. field — a subject
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. season — in sport
  10. charge — in control
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. season — of the year
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. suit — clothes
  16. snap — to click
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. charge — a price
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mine — for digging
  22. suit — in cards
  23. field — farmland
  24. charge — electricity

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