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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · bass · temple · mug · current · stick

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. capital — money
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mug — a cup
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mug — a face
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — low music
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. 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