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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. current — electric
  4. capital — money
  5. mark — a trace
  6. capital — a city
  7. spell — letters
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spell — magic
  10. cue — for pool
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rest — a break
  14. current — of water
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — happening now
  17. chair — a leader
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cue — a signal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spell — a short time

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