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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. charge — in control
  3. capital — money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. can — a tin
  7. mug — a cup
  8. tube — a container
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fall — the season
  14. charge — electricity
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mug — a face
  17. fall — to drop
  18. capital — a city
  19. can — a tin
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. fall — to drop
  24. charge — a price

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