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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rule — a law
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rule — government
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. capital — money
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. capital — a city
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. current — happening now
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rule — to rule out

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