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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. dip — to sink
  6. charge — a price
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fall — to drop
  10. capital — money
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bat — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pass — a permit
  16. charge — in control
  17. fall — to drop
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. row — a line
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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