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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. capital — money
  3. current — electric
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. current — happening now
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mug — a face
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. present — a gift
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cell — in biology
  22. current — of water
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mark — a trace

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