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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mate — to breed
  6. capital — money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — for golf
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mate — a friend
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. charge — a price
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mine — for digging
  18. capital — a city
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mate — a partner
  22. charge — in control
  23. rock — music
  24. club — a group

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