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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. current — electric
  4. capital — a city
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. capital — money
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. current — of water
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — boats
  13. net — after costs
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. squash — the sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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