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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. capital — money
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — a company
  7. pop — to visit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. land — to come down
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. capital — a city
  16. land — ground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — steady
  19. pop — soda
  20. firm — decided
  21. land — a country
  22. can — to be able to
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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