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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pit — in a race
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rock — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — rain
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. capital — money
  18. current — happening now
  19. shower — to wash
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pit — a hole
  23. capital — a city
  24. fan — a supporter

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