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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: staff · clip · foot · deal · net · capital · safe · current

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. net — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. staff — a stick
  10. current — of water
  11. clip — for paper
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — for catching
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — to handle
  16. capital — a city
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. foot — a measure
  21. staff — employees
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. net — after costs

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