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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
468
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: current · deal · snap · arm · capital · fine · rush · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. capital — a city
  3. current — electric
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. snap — to click
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — happening now
  12. deal — to handle
  13. court — of a king
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fine — all right
  17. capital — money
  18. fine — high quality
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. current — of water
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. court — of law

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