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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cue — a signal
  3. capital — a city
  4. charge — electricity
  5. last — to go on
  6. bore — to tire
  7. charge — in control
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lean — to bend
  14. club — for golf
  15. last — finally
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lean — thin
  20. charge — a price
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cue — for pool
  24. prune — to trim

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