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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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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: arm · bass · current · capital · fork · wake · bulb · kid

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. current — of water
  5. kid — child
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — electric
  8. bass — low music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. current — happening now
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. capital — a city
  24. kid — to tease

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