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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. toast — bread
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. scale — in music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. charge — in control
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. key — for a lock
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. key — in music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — size or range
  20. perch — the fish
  21. capital — a city
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — for weighing

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