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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. can — to be able to
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. row — a line
  9. capital — money
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — of water
  13. scale — size or range
  14. key — the most important part
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lie — to recline
  19. key — in music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. capital — a city
  24. scale — in music

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