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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fall — the season
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fall — to drop
  5. roll — a cake
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. can — to be able to
  12. roll — a list
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — a company
  15. can — a tin
  16. capital — a city
  17. current — of water
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. current — happening now
  20. capital — money
  21. firm — steady
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fork — in a road
  24. current — electric

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