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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — a city
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — an amount
  7. charge — in control
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. toast — bread
  11. degree — from a university
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. capital — money
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. charge — electricity
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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