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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rock — music
  3. capital — a city
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rush — hurry
  7. club — a group
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mug — a cup
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. current — of water
  17. club — for golf
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. club — for dancing

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