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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: foot · capital · current · bay · fork · club · spring · mouse

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spring — the season
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. club — for golf
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fork — in a road
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. capital — money
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. spring — a coil
  22. capital — a city
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — a garden tool

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