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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. board — a committee
  3. current — happening now
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. court — of a king
  8. board — to get on
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — of law
  14. current — of water
  15. tear — from crying
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. court — for sport
  19. current — electric
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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