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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 120 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: charge · snap · current · last · mouse · bulb · capital · firm

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. firm — steady
  3. capital — a city
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. charge — a price
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — electric
  13. last — finally
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. last — to go on
  17. current — happening now
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. firm — a company
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — money
  23. current — of water
  24. capital — a big letter

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