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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. capital — a city
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. capital — money
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. sharp — exactly
  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