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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. club — a group
  2. capital — a city
  3. charge — electricity
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — a price
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. capital — money
  9. bark — to shout
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. press — to push
  14. date — the fruit
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. press — newspapers
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. press — a publisher
  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