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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. current — happening now
  3. capital — a city
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. kick — in football
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hand — help
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — money
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. current — of water
  15. cap — a lid
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rock — music
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cap — a hat
  23. craft — boats
  24. kick — a thrill

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