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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — a container
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. capital — money
  17. staff — employees
  18. current — electric
  19. staff — a stick
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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