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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bass — low music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — happening now
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — electric
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — of water
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pop — soda
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. capital — a city
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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