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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. current — electric
  4. field — a subject
  5. current — happening now
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — a tin
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. capital — money
  14. deal — to handle
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. capital — a city
  20. can — to be able to
  21. current — of water
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rash — hasty

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