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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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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: firm · key · capital · saw · swing · current · jam · roll

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. current — electric
  4. swing — music
  5. current — of water
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. roll — a list
  8. swing — to play on
  9. firm — a company
  10. key — the most important part
  11. roll — a cake
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. swing — in golf
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — happening now
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — the tool
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. firm — decided
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a city

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