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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. capital — money
  3. fine — all right
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fine — high quality
  7. key — for a lock
  8. game — a match
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. craft — boats
  11. current — happening now
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — in music
  15. roll — a list
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. current — of water
  18. key — the most important part
  19. craft — a skill
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. current — electric
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stem — to come from

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