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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lean — to bend
  4. charge — in control
  5. fork — in a road
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lean — thin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. charge — a price
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — to eat with

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