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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: current · object · capital · pitch · fine · mate · dip · wake

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. object — to protest
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. object — a thing
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. current — happening now
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — of water
  14. mate — a partner
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mate — to breed
  20. current — electric
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a city
  23. object — an aim
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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