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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: capital · current · shower · ball · calf · pass · rock · pitcher

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. capital — money
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — rain
  10. capital — a city
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — music
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. ball — a great time
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. calf — a young animal

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