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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.

Words on the sheet
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: capital · current · calf · object · present · spring · toast · pass

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. pass — a permit
  9. spring — the season
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. object — a thing
  14. present — there
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. object — an aim
  19. current — of water
  20. object — to protest
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. present — the time now
  24. toast — bread

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