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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. chest — of your body
  9. object — an aim
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cap — of ice
  12. object — a thing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. capital — money
  16. charge — a price
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. object — to protest
  21. chest — a box
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ball — a round shape

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