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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. charge — a price
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — the underground
  6. club — for dancing
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. chip — for betting
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — to eat
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. charge — electricity
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. club — a group
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. capital — money
  19. march — music
  20. club — for golf
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. capital — a city
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tube — a container

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