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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. capital — money
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rush — hurry
  14. current — electric
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rash — a series
  19. current — of water
  20. mark — a grade
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. capital — a city
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. current — happening now

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