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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cap — of ice
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — a match
  9. capital — money
  10. suit — clothes
  11. deal — to handle
  12. suit — to fit
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — a city
  15. press — to push
  16. kick — in football
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cap — a lid
  19. game — wild animals
  20. press — newspapers
  21. current — electric
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — a big deal

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