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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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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 · mine · pop · track · present · current · object · firm

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. firm — a company
  3. object — an aim
  4. firm — steady
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — music
  12. firm — decided
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. present — the time now
  18. capital — a city
  19. current — happening now
  20. track — a path
  21. object — to protest
  22. present — there
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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