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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — electric
  3. bound — certain
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pit — a hole
  6. current — of water
  7. capital — a city
  8. bound — tied together
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bound — obliged
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pit — in a race
  21. capital — money
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. current — happening now
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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