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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — help
  3. bank — of a river
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. charge — a price
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. capital — a city
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bank — for money
  11. deal — to handle
  12. charge — electricity
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — of water
  15. capital — money
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hand — in cards
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. perch — the fish
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. charge — in control

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