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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. toast — bread
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. charge — in control
  7. club — for golf
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — in biology
  10. current — of water
  11. capital — a city
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — a group
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. club — for dancing
  20. sharp — clever
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cell — a phone
  24. capital — money

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