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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. capital — a city
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. face — to point toward
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — to be able to
  13. current — of water
  14. face — to confront
  15. current — electric
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — a division

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