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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. season — of the year
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. capital — money
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. current — electric
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — a city
  20. track — a path
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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