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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. suit — clothes
  4. capital — a city
  5. present — there
  6. current — electric
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. scale — in music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. present — a gift
  13. lie — to recline
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. suit — to fit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — low music
  24. capital — money

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