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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. capital — money
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. suit — to fit
  6. charge — a price
  7. capital — a city
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — for sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hand — help
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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