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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. capital — a city
  5. track — to keep track
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — a path
  9. charge — in control
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mate — a partner
  17. capital — money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mate — a friend
  24. track — a song

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