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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rule — government
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bore — to drill
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. current — of water
  11. charge — in control
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. present — the time now
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bore — to tire
  18. capital — a city
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a dance
  21. present — there
  22. current — electric
  23. capital — money
  24. deal — to handle

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