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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. charge — in control
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — a subject
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fork — in a road
  16. capital — money
  17. current — of water
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. charge — electricity
  21. capital — a city
  22. charge — a price
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — electric

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