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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pound — a weight
  6. capital — a city
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. race — humankind
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — electric
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. current — happening now
  19. roll — a cake
  20. race — a contest
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. race — the arms race

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