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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 120 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: can · capital · current · cabinet · mouse · craft · shower · branch

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. current — happening now
  3. can — to be able to
  4. current — electric
  5. craft — boats
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. capital — a city
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a skill
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. current — of water

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