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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: current · fan · track · capital · foot · kick · calf · wave

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — of water
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. kick — in football
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. current — electric
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. current — happening now
  15. track — a song
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. track — a path

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