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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. current — electric
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cell — in biology
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. suit — clothes
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — the fish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bass — low music
  14. capital — money
  15. current — happening now
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — a committee
  23. capital — a city
  24. current — of water

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