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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
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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: current · arm · wave · scale · capital · content · trunk · file

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. capital — a city
  6. file — a line of people
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. capital — money
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. current — happening now
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. file — a document
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. scale — in music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — of water
  19. content — happy
  20. file — a tool
  21. current — electric
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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