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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. current — of water
  4. drill — a practice
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — a break
  7. capital — money
  8. pop — music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — low music
  13. drill — the tool
  14. capital — a city
  15. season — of the year
  16. pop — soda
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — electric
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. season — in sport
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rest — what's left

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