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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rush — hurry
  5. capital — a city
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. drill — army training
  8. fine — all right
  9. charge — electricity
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fine — high quality
  13. charge — a price
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — to rob
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. capital — money

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