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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: bear · capital · cap · sharp · current · band · suit · mine

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. cap — a lid
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. current — of water
  4. mine — for digging
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. band — a music group
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — electric
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. current — happening now
  15. suit — clothes
  16. capital — money
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cap — of ice
  22. capital — a city
  23. bear — to put up with
  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