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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. capital — a city
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stock — goods
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. capital — money
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — a safe
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stock — shares
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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