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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 120 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 · file · bay · stem · current · wound · deal · chip

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — for betting
  6. current — happening now
  7. capital — a city
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. current — of water
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. file — a document
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chip — to eat
  22. current — electric
  23. wound — an injury
  24. file — 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