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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mate — a friend
  3. charge — a price
  4. mate — a partner
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — for sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. field — farmland
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — to breed
  22. field — a subject
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. capital — a city

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