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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — in control
  7. scale — in music
  8. capital — money
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. charge — electricity
  11. net — in sport
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — for betting
  15. capital — a city
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. chip — to eat
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — for catching
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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