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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. staff — employees
  3. current — of water
  4. stock — goods
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. staff — employees
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — the time now
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. current — electric
  12. scale — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. present — there
  17. stock — shares
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — a gift
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. staff — a stick
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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