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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: fine · can · prune · current · capital · pop · bass · wound

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. current — of water
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. capital — a city
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — low music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. capital — money
  22. current — happening now
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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