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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. court — of a king
  5. spell — letters
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — for sport
  8. spell — a short time
  9. capital — money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. drill — army training
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. charge — in control
  18. drill — a practice
  19. court — of law
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. capital — a city
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fan — a supporter

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