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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. charge — in control
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. squash — the sport
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spell — magic
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ball — a dance
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. capital — a city
  15. wind — moving air
  16. squash — to crush
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — help
  19. charge — a price
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. charge — electricity
  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