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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 116 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. fine — all right
  11. vault — a safe
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. sharp — clever
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. suit — clothes
  16. capital — money
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fine — high quality
  21. suit — in cards
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. current — happening now

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