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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 116 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: pound · capital · bulb · board · wound · suit · leaves · current

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. suit — clothes
  3. board — a committee
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. current — of water
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. capital — a city
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — an injury
  20. capital — money
  21. current — electric
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. suit — to fit
  24. current — happening now

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