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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. charge — a price
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. charge — in control
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bound — certain
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bound — obliged
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pass — a permit
  20. game — a match
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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