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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: track · staff · craft · hand · capital · arm · current · lean

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. lean — to bend
  5. track — a song
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. craft — boats
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. current — of water
  13. hand — help
  14. staff — a stick
  15. track — a path
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — to keep track
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — employees
  22. craft — a skill
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. capital — money

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