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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: leaves · capital · object · snap · current · ground · foot · game

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. game — a match
  3. capital — a city
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. ground — a position
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ground — the earth
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. object — a thing
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. foot — a measure
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. ground — crushed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. capital — money
  21. object — an aim
  22. current — of water
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. current — electric

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