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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cap — a lid
  7. capital — money
  8. stock — goods
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. suit — to fit
  12. charge — a price
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. capital — a city
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rule — a law
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rule — government

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