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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rush — hurry
  3. capital — a city
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. current — electric
  12. net — for catching
  13. current — of water
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — after costs
  18. root — of a plant
  19. capital — money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — happening now
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. net — in sport

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