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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. capital — a city
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. foot — a measure
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pass — a permit
  9. charge — in control
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. capital — money
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — for digging
  14. squash — to crush
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pass — to spend time

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