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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. craft — boats
  5. suit — to fit
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. current — of water
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. capital — a city
  14. squash — the sport
  15. current — electric
  16. capital — money
  17. bat — the animal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. craft — a skill
  23. suit — clothes
  24. straw — dry grass

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