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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: stand · hide · shower · fork · capital · file · current · cue

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. current — happening now
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — money
  4. file — a line of people
  5. capital — a city
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. file — a document
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. current — electric
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. current — of water
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cue — for pool
  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