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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: current · bear · fork · chest · stick · cabinet · capital · track

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. current — of water
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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