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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. capital — money
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. current — happening now
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rash — a series
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. current — electric
  17. rash — hasty
  18. current — of water
  19. capital — a city
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. jam — a tight spot

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