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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. march — music
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. rock — music
  7. current — happening now
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. capital — a city
  11. net — in sport
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spell — magic
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fine — all right
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — electric
  22. fine — high quality
  23. march — the month
  24. current — of water

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