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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: sharp · mate · straw · current · jam · foot · mark · capital

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. current — happening now
  3. mate — to breed
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. current — of water
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. sharp — clever
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mate — a friend
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a trace
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. current — electric
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mark — a grade
  24. foot — a measure

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