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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: object · wave · track · capital · current · clip · fork · pit

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fork — in a road
  3. capital — money
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. object — a thing
  8. current — of water
  9. track — a path
  10. current — electric
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pit — in a race
  13. track — to keep track
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. pit — a hole
  19. current — happening now
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. clip — a video

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