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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cue — for pool
  3. current — of water
  4. mark — a grade
  5. current — happening now
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — electric
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. scale — in music
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rock — music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mark — a trace
  20. scale — size or range
  21. capital — money
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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