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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. suit — to fit
  4. content — the amount
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. charge — in control
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. content — happy
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitch — completely
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. capital — a city
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rule — government
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rule — a law
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. charge — electricity
  23. capital — money
  24. charge — a price

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