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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. charge — a price
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. net — in sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — for catching
  11. capital — money
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. capital — a city
  16. row — a line
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — a contest
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. net — after costs

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