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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. firm — decided
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bank — of a river
  7. track — a path
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. current — of water
  10. capital — money
  11. bank — for money
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. firm — a company
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — steady
  18. track — a song
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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