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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mug — a cup
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. foot — a measure
  6. current — electric
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ball — a dance
  13. current — happening now
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — of water
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cold — not warm
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. scale — in music
  20. capital — a city
  21. mug — a face
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. ball — a great time

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