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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: current · capital · board · rash · mug · bear · firm · ground

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. firm — steady
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — of water
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. current — happening now
  7. mug — a face
  8. firm — decided
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mug — a cup
  11. capital — money
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. firm — a company
  18. bear — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. rash — hasty
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. current — electric
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. board — to get on

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