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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: key · drill · arm · staff · plane · bass · capital · current

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. capital — a city
  9. bass — low music
  10. capital — money
  11. key — the most important part
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. drill — the tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the fish
  17. key — for a lock
  18. drill — a practice
  19. current — of water
  20. drill — army training
  21. current — electric
  22. key — in music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. plane — a 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