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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: current · plane · prune · spell · rock · tube · swing · capital

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. tube — a container
  4. capital — money
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rock — music
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. swing — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. rock — a stone
  13. spell — letters
  14. capital — a city
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — of water
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — to play on
  21. spell — magic
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. plane — in geometry

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