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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · snap · capital · track · bay · rule · deal · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. foot — a measure
  4. track — a path
  5. deal — to handle
  6. snap — to click
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. track — a song
  12. capital — money
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rule — government
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. charge — a price
  22. capital — a city
  23. charge — in control
  24. track — to keep track

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