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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — crushed
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. ground — the earth
  7. capital — a city
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. object — an aim
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. tube — a container
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. net — after costs
  20. capital — money
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. charge — a price
  24. ground — a position

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