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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. can — to be able to
  4. charge — in control
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. court — of law
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — a city
  9. present — there
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bulb — for light
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. court — of a king
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. capital — money
  23. foot — a measure
  24. present — the time now

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