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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spell — letters
  5. can — a tin
  6. capital — a city
  7. charge — in control
  8. suit — to fit
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spell — magic
  11. charge — electricity
  12. can — a tin
  13. current — electric
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — happening now
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — of water
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. spell — a short time
  20. staff — a stick
  21. vault — a safe
  22. suit — clothes
  23. capital — money
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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