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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. capital — money
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. key — in music
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pit — a hole
  19. perch — the fish
  20. charge — in control
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. key — for a lock
  23. season — in sport
  24. wave — of the sea

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