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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 · current · game · stick · band · pitcher · object · calf

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. object — an aim
  3. game — a match
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. game — wild animals
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. current — happening now
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. current — of water
  17. capital — a city
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — a thing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — to protest
  23. capital — money
  24. band — a rubber band

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