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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. current — happening now
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bank — for money
  5. file — a line of people
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. content — the amount
  11. cue — a signal
  12. capital — a city
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. capital — money
  15. content — happy
  16. toast — bread
  17. rash — hasty
  18. file — a tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. file — a document
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. cue — for pool
  24. toast — the most admired

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