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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. last — finally
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — final
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a city
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chip — for betting
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. last — to go on
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. charge — a price
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. charge — in control
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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