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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. current — happening now
  3. rest — what's left
  4. march — music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. squash — to crush
  7. march — the month
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. current — electric
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rest — a break
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rest — what's left
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. current — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. capital — a city
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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