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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — electric
  4. lie — to recline
  5. capital — money
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — happening now
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. capital — a city
  12. current — of water
  13. bank — for money
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. tube — the underground
  16. scale — in music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pit — in a race
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pit — a hole

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