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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. charge — electricity
  3. face — to point toward
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — for sport
  10. object — to protest
  11. staff — a stick
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. face — part of the head
  16. squash — the sport
  17. charge — in control
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. capital — money
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. charge — a price
  23. face — to confront
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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