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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. capital — a city
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. capital — money
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cue — a hint
  12. season — in sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bass — the fish
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cue — a signal
  18. season — of the year
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — low music
  22. current — of water
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bear — to put up with

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