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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. club — for dancing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. charge — in control
  12. race — a contest
  13. mine — for digging
  14. club — a group
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. race — the arms race
  17. club — for golf
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. charge — a price
  20. capital — money
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. race — humankind
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bank — of a river

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