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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. firm — steady
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — electric
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — decided
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pit — in a race
  16. current — happening now
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. firm — a company
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pit — a hole
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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