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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. club — for dancing
  5. current — electric
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. club — for golf
  8. kick — in football
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. deal — to handle
  12. current — of water
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. capital — a city
  17. club — a group
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. capital — money
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. current — happening now

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