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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 · bulb · last · chip · mouse · face · stem · current

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. chip — to eat
  5. capital — a city
  6. current — happening now
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. last — finally
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. current — of water
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to point toward
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — to come from
  19. capital — money
  20. chip — for betting
  21. face — to confront
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. last — final
  24. mouse — for a computer

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