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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: fork · capital · file · can · rash · current · bass · mouse

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rash — a series
  4. file — a document
  5. current — happening now
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. capital — money
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. file — a tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — in a road

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