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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 116 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
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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: pitch · leaves · sharp · mouse · lash · capital · court · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. current — happening now
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — electric
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. court — for sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. court — of law
  12. capital — a city
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. court — of a king
  23. capital — money
  24. sharp — exactly

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