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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. capital — a city
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. charge — in control
  5. pit — a hole
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spring — of water
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pit — in a race
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ground — crushed
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ground — a position
  17. charge — a price
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ground — the earth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fine — all right
  24. capital — money

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