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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: capital · current · pitcher · wake · wind · pass · pitch · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. capital — money
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — electric
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. current — happening now
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitch — completely
  23. current — of water
  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