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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. capital — a city
  3. current — electric
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. last — finally
  7. current — happening now
  8. present — a gift
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. last — final
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. last — to go on
  17. kid — child
  18. roll — a list
  19. current — of water
  20. present — there
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. capital — money
  23. plane — a tool
  24. roll — a cake

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