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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. charge — a price
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. charge — electricity
  5. race — the arms race
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. capital — a city
  12. staff — employees
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. staff — employees
  16. pass — a permit
  17. spell — letters
  18. stock — shares
  19. race — humankind
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. staff — a stick
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. race — a contest
  24. charge — in control

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