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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: bat · bay · coach · capital · current · arm · shower · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. shower — to wash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. shower — rain
  17. current — electric
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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