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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. capital — money
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cap — a lid
  6. capital — a city
  7. land — to come down
  8. bound — certain
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. land — ground
  12. mark — a trace
  13. current — electric
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. current — of water
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cap — of ice
  22. land — a country
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. current — happening now

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