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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fine — all right
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. capital — money
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rock — a stone
  7. capital — a city
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mug — to rob
  24. capital — a big letter

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