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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stock — goods
  3. mug — to rob
  4. capital — a city
  5. current — electric
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mug — a face
  8. stock — shares
  9. mug — a cup
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chip — for betting
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. swing — in golf
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — happening now

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