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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. key — the most important part
  4. current — happening now
  5. capital — money
  6. current — electric
  7. key — for a lock
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — in music
  11. capital — a city
  12. current — of water
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. firm — decided
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rest — a break
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. firm — a company
  24. jam — a tight spot

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