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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chip — to eat
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. current — electric
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cap — a hat
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cap — a lid
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. current — of water
  24. content — happy

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