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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. charge — a price
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. charge — electricity
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. capital — money
  11. pass — a permit
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. track — a path
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — a song
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. charge — in control

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