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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. key — in music
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — of water
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rule — government
  11. net — in sport
  12. capital — a city
  13. season — in sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. net — for catching
  17. key — the most important part
  18. capital — money
  19. bass — the fish
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bass — low music
  22. net — after costs
  23. squash — the sport
  24. key — for a lock

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