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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. current — of water
  4. club — a group
  5. lie — to recline
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — tied together
  9. season — in sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bound — obliged
  12. current — happening now
  13. root — the cause
  14. current — electric
  15. root — of a word
  16. club — for golf
  17. can — to be able to
  18. capital — a city
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — of the year
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bound — certain
  24. club — for dancing

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