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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mark — a grade
  6. press — newspapers
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. last — final
  10. capital — a city
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. press — a publisher
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. charge — in control
  19. last — finally
  20. pit — a hole
  21. press — to push
  22. charge — a price
  23. deal — to handle
  24. last — to go on

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