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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. charge — in control
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ground — the earth
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — crushed
  9. key — in music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — for a lock
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. key — the most important part
  16. charge — a price
  17. capital — money
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ground — a position
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mine — belonging to me

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