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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. tube — a container
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — electric
  7. net — in sport
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rule — a law
  12. fine — all right
  13. capital — money
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rule — government
  18. current — happening now
  19. net — for catching
  20. current — of water
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. capital — a city

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