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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. current — of water
  4. fine — high quality
  5. capital — money
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. capital — a city
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — electric
  13. fine — all right
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. current — happening now
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fan — to cool the air

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