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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. firm — steady
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. charge — electricity
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. current — electric
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. charge — in control
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — decided
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. firm — a company
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. charge — a price
  23. capital — money
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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