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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — a city
  17. cap — of ice
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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