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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. current — of water
  4. fine — high quality
  5. toast — bread
  6. current — electric
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fine — all right
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rest — what's left
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. rest — a break
  17. bat — the animal
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. snap — to click
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. current — happening now
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. capital — a city
  24. rest — what's left

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