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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. suit — to fit
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. charge — electricity
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. kick — in football
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — in control
  21. capital — a city
  22. charge — a price
  23. capital — money
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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