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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: clip · plane · lean · pitcher · foot · mouse · capital · current

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. foot — a measure
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. current — electric
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. capital — a city
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — a video
  19. lean — to bend
  20. capital — money
  21. current — of water
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lean — thin
  24. current — happening now

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