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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. current — of water
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bank — of a river
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. capital — money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — happening now
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. capital — a city
  24. coach — a trainer

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