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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: current · press · nail · row · pass · squash · capital · bat

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. capital — money
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. current — happening now
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a line
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — electric
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. current — of water
  18. press — a publisher
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. press — to push
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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