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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 116 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rush — hurry
  3. capital — money
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pit — in a race
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. capital — a city
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. charge — in control
  21. pit — a hole
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. game — a match
  24. deal — to handle

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