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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 · current · ruler · sharp · ball · track · snap · game

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. current — happening now
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a path
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — clever
  9. game — wild animals
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to click
  18. track — a song
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. current — electric
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. capital — a city

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