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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. board — to get on
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — in control
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. capital — money
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. charge — electricity
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. board — a committee
  20. capital — a city
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. prune — the fruit

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