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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. capital — a city
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bank — of a river
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bank — for money
  10. current — electric
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. capital — money
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ground — crushed
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. current — happening now

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