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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. spell — letters
  4. capital — money
  5. rock — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — electric
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. capital — a city
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. snap — to click
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — a container
  24. cabinet — ministers

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