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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 · pitcher · pop · rule · current · wound · key · scale

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. current — of water
  4. pop — to visit
  5. current — happening now
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pop — music
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rule — government
  16. key — the most important part
  17. current — electric
  18. rule — a law
  19. scale — size or range
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. wound — an injury
  23. scale — in music
  24. rule — to rule out

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