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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. current — of water
  3. pit — in a race
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. court — for sport
  8. charge — in control
  9. current — happening now
  10. capital — a city
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. court — of law
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. current — electric
  19. charge — electricity
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — a price
  22. pound — a weight
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of a king

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