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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. firm — decided
  7. capital — money
  8. cap — a hat
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cap — a lid
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cap — of ice
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — a price
  17. hand — help
  18. capital — a city
  19. firm — a company
  20. hand — in cards
  21. firm — steady
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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