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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · ground · kick · sharp · capital · mug · mine · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mine — for digging
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fine — high quality
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ground — a position
  10. mug — a face
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. kick — in football
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fine — all right
  19. current — happening now
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ground — crushed
  24. capital — money

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