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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — happening now
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. object — a thing
  7. current — of water
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. object — to protest
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — an aim
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. capital — money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. prune — to trim
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — electric
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. chip — in a computer
  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