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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. charge — in control
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mug — a face
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fork — in a road
  11. capital — a city
  12. swing — music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — money
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — a cup
  18. swing — in golf
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mug — to rob
  21. charge — a price
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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