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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. charge — in control
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. capital — money
  5. current — happening now
  6. march — the month
  7. key — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. key — for a lock
  12. current — electric
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. key — the most important part
  15. current — of water
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — a price
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. charge — electricity
  24. capital — a city

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