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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. current — electric
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. land — a country
  5. pop — to visit
  6. current — happening now
  7. capital — a city
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. current — of water
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pop — soda
  15. capital — money
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. saw — the tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pop — music

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