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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: capital · bore · current · straw · suit · lean · nail · court

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. court — of a king
  3. current — happening now
  4. court — for sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. capital — a city
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lean — to bend
  14. capital — money
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. suit — in cards
  17. current — electric
  18. suit — clothes
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lean — thin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — of water
  23. court — of law
  24. suit — to fit

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