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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a document
  4. pit — in a race
  5. capital — a city
  6. land — ground
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pit — a hole
  10. land — a country
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — a publisher
  14. capital — money
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. file — a line of people
  17. land — to come down
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. vault — a safe
  20. file — a tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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