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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chip — for betting
  4. club — for golf
  5. rest — a break
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. capital — money
  9. charge — in control
  10. fall — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. capital — a city
  19. club — a group
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. charge — a price

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