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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. row — to paddle
  4. dip — to sink
  5. capital — money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — help
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. perch — the fish
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. capital — a city
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. charge — a price
  19. can — a tin
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — electricity
  24. row — a line

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