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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. firm — steady
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — decided
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. firm — a company
  20. charge — a price
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. capital — money
  24. charge — in control

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