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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: capital · fan · fine · current · bark · wave · ball · lean

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lean — thin
  4. current — electric
  5. capital — a city
  6. lean — to bend
  7. current — of water
  8. bark — to shout
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. capital — money
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fine — all right
  24. ball — a dance

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