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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. firm — a company
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mug — to rob
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. charge — in control
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. firm — decided
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mug — a face
  16. charge — electricity
  17. firm — steady
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. last — final
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mug — a cup

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