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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. charge — in control
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. snap — to click
  6. charge — a price
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. object — a thing
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — completely
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stem — to come from
  16. object — an aim
  17. key — for a lock
  18. capital — a city
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. charge — electricity
  21. key — in music
  22. object — to protest
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pitch — a sports field

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