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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · field · capital · hide · fine · current · trunk · sharp

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. spell — magic
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. capital — a city
  7. current — of water
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. field — for sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. current — happening now
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. spell — a short time
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — clever
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. current — electric
  21. capital — money
  22. spell — letters
  23. fine — all right
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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