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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
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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 · stock · capital · file · land · mouse · fan · bound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. land — to come down
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. file — a tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. current — of water
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bound — certain
  13. land — ground
  14. file — a document
  15. current — happening now
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stock — goods
  18. land — a country
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — money
  22. bound — obliged
  23. current — electric
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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