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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. capital — money
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pass — a permit
  8. capital — a city
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. current — electric
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. track — a song
  15. current — happening now
  16. rock — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. track — a path
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitch — completely
  24. current — of water

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