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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bat — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. capital — a city
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. current — electric
  7. firm — steady
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. firm — a company
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — of water
  22. mark — a trace
  23. current — happening now
  24. bat — for baseball

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