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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. current — electric
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. current — of water
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. can — a tin
  7. current — happening now
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — in music
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rash — hasty

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