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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with 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. fine — all right
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. row — a line
  5. land — to come down
  6. current — happening now
  7. capital — money
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. land — ground
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fine — high quality
  16. current — electric
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pound — a weight
  20. land — a country
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — of water
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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