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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: current · leaves · perch · fan · track · rule · capital · pit

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. current — electric
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — the fish
  9. current — of water
  10. pit — in a race
  11. track — to keep track
  12. capital — a city
  13. current — happening now
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a song
  20. rule — government
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. track — a path
  23. rule — a law
  24. capital — money

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