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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cue — for pool
  8. current — electric
  9. race — a contest
  10. capital — money
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — of water
  16. rest — a break
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. race — the arms race
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. race — humankind
  21. cue — a signal
  22. capital — a city
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. chair — to sit on

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