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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: capital · last · mine · tube · club · current · wave · ruler

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. current — electric
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. current — of water
  9. club — a group
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mine — for digging
  13. last — final
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. capital — money
  16. club — for dancing
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. club — for golf
  19. last — to go on
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. last — finally
  23. current — happening now
  24. capital — a city

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