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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. current — electric
  3. club — a group
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bound — tied together
  14. club — for golf
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — certain
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pass — a permit
  24. trunk — of a car

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