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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a city
  7. spell — magic
  8. current — happening now
  9. charge — electricity
  10. current — of water
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — a short time
  13. capital — money
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — a price
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spell — letters
  22. current — electric
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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