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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. deal — to handle
  5. last — final
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. current — happening now
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. last — to go on
  13. capital — money
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. suit — in cards
  17. current — electric
  18. tear — from crying
  19. march — music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. march — the month
  24. last — finally

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