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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. capital — a city
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — music
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. charge — a price
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. charge — in control
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. capital — money
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. charge — electricity

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