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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 120 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.

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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: face · row · capital · club · pop · current · file · calf

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — money
  6. pop — soda
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. row — a line
  10. pop — to visit
  11. file — a tool
  12. club — a group
  13. file — a document
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — to point toward
  16. club — for dancing
  17. current — of water
  18. capital — a city
  19. club — for golf
  20. pop — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. face — part of the head

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