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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. degree — from a university
  5. capital — a city
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. land — ground
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — electricity
  14. season — of the year
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. charge — in control
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. degree — an amount
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — to bear
  23. land — a country
  24. capital — money

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