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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pit — in a race
  3. capital — a city
  4. pit — a hole
  5. swing — music
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. current — happening now
  9. capital — money
  10. cold — an illness
  11. current — of water
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. swing — to play on
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cold — not warm
  17. game — a match
  18. mug — a cup
  19. current — electric
  20. mug — a face
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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