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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bore — to drill
  7. capital — a city
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. roll — a list
  16. rash — hasty
  17. toast — bread
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. chair — a leader
  20. charge — a price
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. rash — a series

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