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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. march — music
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pitch — completely
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — a city
  15. bound — certain
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — a grade
  20. capital — money
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. march — the month
  24. mark — to pay attention

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