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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: board · dip · content · fine · current · mine · capital · pop

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. board — to get on
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — of water
  14. mine — for digging
  15. content — happy
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. current — electric
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — happening now
  23. pop — to visit
  24. dip — a sauce

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