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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — to fit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. suit — in cards
  7. charge — in control
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. game — wild animals
  11. spell — magic
  12. suit — clothes
  13. prune — to trim
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a match
  18. capital — money
  19. spell — letters
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. charge — a price

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