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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 · root · fall · current · mine · craft · band · ground

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. root — of a plant
  6. current — of water
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — electric
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. root — of a word
  14. band — a ring
  15. craft — boats
  16. capital — money
  17. root — the cause
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. current — happening now
  20. capital — a city
  21. fall — the season
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mine — for digging

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