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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. capital — a city
  5. current — of water
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — electric
  13. capital — money
  14. current — happening now
  15. drill — a practice
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. present — the time now
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mate — a friend
  24. present — there

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