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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ground — crushed
  3. spring — of water
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — a coil
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ground — the earth
  9. current — electric
  10. ground — a position
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — a hint
  13. prune — to trim
  14. capital — a city
  15. cue — for pool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — low music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cue — a signal
  21. capital — money
  22. bass — the fish
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. spring — the season

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