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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. can — to be able to
  3. capital — a city
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rule — a law
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. rule — government
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. capital — money
  24. can — a tin

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