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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 · bat · squash · bulb · band · capital · safe · cue

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cue — for pool
  3. band — a music group
  4. capital — a city
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. current — electric
  9. squash — to crush
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. current — of water
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. band — a ring
  21. capital — money
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. current — happening now
  24. squash — the vegetable

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