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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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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: stick · rest · current · craft · toast · kid · cabinet · capital

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. capital — money
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. kid — child
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. current — of water
  11. rest — a break
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. capital — a city
  16. craft — boats
  17. toast — bread
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rest — what's left
  24. current — electric

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