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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 · ground · cap · rock · stick · plane · track · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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 — electric
  2. rock — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — a tool
  5. current — of water
  6. capital — a city
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rock — a stone
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ground — a position
  22. current — happening now
  23. track — a song
  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