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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bound — tied together
  4. current — happening now
  5. net — in sport
  6. capital — money
  7. current — of water
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cue — a signal
  13. net — for catching
  14. rule — a law
  15. bound — obliged
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — government
  18. current — electric
  19. bound — certain
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. capital — a city
  24. date — the fruit

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