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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pop — to visit
  3. charge — electricity
  4. capital — money
  5. pop — soda
  6. mate — a partner
  7. craft — boats
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. charge — a price
  11. pound — a weight
  12. capital — a city
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pit — in a race
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pop — music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — a friend
  24. capital — a big letter

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