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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.

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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: field · date · current · capital · ruler · rush · ball · jam

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. date — the fruit
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. field — a subject
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — electric
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. field — farmland
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rush — hurry
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. ball — a dance
  18. capital — money
  19. current — happening now
  20. field — for sport
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. capital — a city
  24. ball — a round shape

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