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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 120 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — a price
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. game — a match
  6. capital — a city
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. capital — money
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — to come from
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. object — an aim
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — to protest
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. charge — electricity
  19. game — wild animals
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — a stone
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. object — a thing

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