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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ground — a position
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — a city
  13. current — of water
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ball — a dance
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. current — electric
  22. land — ground
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ball — a great time

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