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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. charge — in control
  9. present — there
  10. kick — in football
  11. land — a country
  12. capital — a city
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. present — the time now
  18. charge — a price
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. capital — money
  23. bat — the animal
  24. present — a gift

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