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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 116 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 · mark · bat · wind · current · suit · racket · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — of water
  11. mark — a grade
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. suit — clothes
  19. current — electric
  20. capital — money
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mark — a trace
  23. capital — a city
  24. suit — in cards

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