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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
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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: spell · calf · capital · rock · current · degree · sharp · mug

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mug — a face
  3. current — of water
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — to rob
  7. degree — from a university
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. capital — money
  14. current — electric
  15. rock — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. degree — temperature
  21. spell — letters
  22. sharp — clever
  23. degree — an amount
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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