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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. capital — a city
  5. fine — high quality
  6. current — of water
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. current — electric
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cue — a signal
  16. land — ground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — happening now
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. cap — a hat

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