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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: stick · hand · dip · ball · capital · current · swing · charge

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. swing — to play on
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. current — happening now
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. charge — in control
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hand — help
  12. charge — electricity
  13. capital — money
  14. current — electric
  15. ball — a dance
  16. capital — a city
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ball — a great time
  20. charge — a price
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. swing — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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