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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. net — in sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. capital — a city
  8. mug — to rob
  9. net — for catching
  10. firm — a company
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. charge — in control
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — steady
  16. capital — money
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mug — a face
  19. net — after costs
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hand — in cards
  24. firm — decided

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