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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: bark · jam · prune · capital · calf · current · land · press

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. press — newspapers
  4. current — of water
  5. bark — to shout
  6. land — ground
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — happening now
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. press — to push
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. capital — money
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. land — to come down
  19. press — a publisher
  20. prune — to trim
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. capital — a city
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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