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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. capital — a city
  7. swing — music
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. current — of water
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rule — a law
  15. swing — in golf
  16. capital — money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. current — electric
  19. swing — to play on
  20. roll — a list
  21. current — happening now
  22. roll — a cake
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rule — government

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