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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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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: foot · current · fine · cell · capital · bark · rock · stand

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. capital — a city
  2. rock — a stone
  3. current — of water
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fine — all right
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rock — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. current — happening now
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. foot — a measure
  23. current — electric
  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