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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. last — finally
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kid — child
  12. capital — a city
  13. charge — a price
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. last — final
  17. kid — to tease
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — in cards
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. tube — a container
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — the underground
  24. racket — a loud noise

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