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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pop — to visit
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. land — a country
  5. pop — music
  6. capital — money
  7. charge — electricity
  8. land — to come down
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. land — ground
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. charge — a price
  13. rule — government
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. charge — in control
  16. toast — bread
  17. rule — a law
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. capital — a city
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pop — soda
  24. rule — to rule out

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