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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. press — newspapers
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. land — a country
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. land — to come down
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. charge — in control
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. press — to push
  20. land — ground
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bowl — a dish

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