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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. capital — money
  3. fine — all right
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — the underground
  8. current — of water
  9. cap — a hat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. capital — a city
  16. tube — a container
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. chip — to eat
  20. root — of a word
  21. cap — a lid
  22. current — happening now
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. capital — a big letter

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