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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.

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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 · stick · rock · rest · capital · scale · bowl · safe

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. capital — a city
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. current — of water
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. scale — size or range
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rest — a break
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — in music
  15. rock — music
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. current — electric
  19. rock — a stone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — happening now
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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