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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. capital — money
  3. suit — in cards
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. suit — to fit
  8. plane — a tool
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lie — to recline
  11. degree — from a university
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. charge — a price
  14. capital — a city
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rock — a stone

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