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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: current · bore · fine · present · capital · face · cabinet · pop

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — happening now
  5. fine — all right
  6. pop — soda
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. present — the time now
  10. face — to confront
  11. pop — music
  12. current — electric
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — part of the head
  16. present — there
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pop — to visit
  19. capital — money
  20. bore — to drill
  21. capital — a city
  22. bore — to tire
  23. present — a gift
  24. bore — gave birth

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