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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. current — of water
  7. capital — money
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. plane — a tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. capital — a city
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pound — a weight
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. current — electric
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wake — a trail
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — the sport
  24. leaves — of a tree

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