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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. current — of water
  3. capital — money
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. capital — a city
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ground — a position
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — the earth
  17. current — electric
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. current — happening now
  24. capital — a big letter

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