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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. field — for sport
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. charge — a price
  6. current — happening now
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. capital — a city
  9. current — of water
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — a subject
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — for light
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. current — electric
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. charge — in control

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