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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. suit — clothes
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — in control
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. suit — to fit
  14. capital — money
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a document
  17. capital — a city
  18. field — a subject
  19. suit — in cards
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a line of people
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bowl — to roll

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