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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. suit — to fit
  3. shower — to wash
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — electricity
  6. shower — rain
  7. capital — a city
  8. saw — the tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. charge — a price
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — in cards
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. capital — money
  17. spell — letters
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. key — for a lock
  20. suit — clothes
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. capital — a big letter

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