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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. staff — employees
  4. present — there
  5. staff — a stick
  6. charge — electricity
  7. capital — a city
  8. present — the time now
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — in control
  13. craft — boats
  14. cap — of ice
  15. capital — money
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pit — in a race
  18. charge — a price
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — a gift
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cap — a hat

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