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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mate — to breed
  6. capital — money
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chip — for betting
  15. craft — a skill
  16. current — electric
  17. mate — a friend
  18. craft — boats
  19. row — a line
  20. capital — a city
  21. row — to paddle
  22. current — happening now
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. current — of water

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