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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. track — to keep track
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. charge — a price
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. chair — a leader
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to tire
  18. capital — money
  19. track — a path
  20. bore — to drill
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. track — a song
  24. staff — a stick

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