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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: mark · current · rash · fine · kid · capital · rock · row

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. current — happening now
  4. capital — money
  5. rash — a series
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fine — all right
  9. row — a line
  10. rock — a stone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. capital — a city
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rock — music
  22. current — of water
  23. mark — a grade
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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