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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. face — to confront
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. season — in sport
  5. face — to point toward
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — part of the head
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. season — of the year
  10. capital — money
  11. pop — soda
  12. stand — to bear
  13. capital — a city
  14. current — of water
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. current — happening now
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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