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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. capital — money
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a great time
  9. capital — a city
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — a grade
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ball — a dance
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. current — happening now
  19. rule — government
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rule — a law
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — a trace
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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