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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. current — of water
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — ground
  4. shower — rain
  5. track — a path
  6. land — to come down
  7. track — a song
  8. can — a tin
  9. capital — money
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — a country
  15. capital — a city
  16. shower — to wash
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — a break
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  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