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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · spring · current · race · mouse · straw · foot · season

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. race — the arms race
  4. season — of the year
  5. spring — the season
  6. foot — a measure
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. current — of water
  10. race — a contest
  11. current — happening now
  12. capital — money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. current — electric
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. foot — part of the body

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