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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fine — all right
  4. race — the arms race
  5. charge — a price
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. race — a contest
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — in control
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. race — humankind
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. capital — money
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. plane — in geometry

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