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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
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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 · game · current · bulb · track · bore · land · rock

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. land — a country
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. game — wild animals
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — to drill
  8. land — ground
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. current — electric
  15. capital — a city
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a song
  18. current — of water
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. capital — money
  21. track — to keep track
  22. game — a match
  23. current — happening now
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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