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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 · tube · current · mark · pitcher · plane · root · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — happening now
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. root — of a plant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — the cause
  8. mark — a grade
  9. root — of a word
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. plane — a tool
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — the underground
  20. capital — money
  21. tube — a container
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wound — an injury

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