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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. capital — a city
  3. chip — for betting
  4. capital — money
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. staff — employees
  9. charge — a price
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — rain
  17. charge — in control
  18. chip — to eat
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. content — the amount
  21. suit — to fit
  22. content — happy
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — a stick

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