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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rule — a law
  4. suit — to fit
  5. capital — money
  6. current — happening now
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. net — after costs
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rule — government
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. current — electric
  17. capital — a city
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. current — of water
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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