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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. date — the fruit
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. fine — all right
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. current — of water
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. current — happening now
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. capital — a city

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