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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. charge — electricity
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. capital — a city
  5. charge — a price
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fine — all right
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rule — a law
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. capital — money
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — in control
  23. rule — government
  24. fine — high quality

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