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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 120 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. cap — a hat
  5. capital — money
  6. cap — of ice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. branch — a division
  9. race — the arms race
  10. current — of water
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. suit — clothes
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — for a lock
  15. race — humankind
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. race — a contest
  18. cap — a lid
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. key — in music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. capital — a city
  24. key — the most important part

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