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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. charge — in control
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. charge — a price
  9. club — for golf
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — a trail
  14. capital — a city
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mark — a trace
  18. can — a tin
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — to pay attention

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