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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: last · lie · capital · pop · hand · suit · rule · current

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. current — of water
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rule — government
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hand — help
  10. last — final
  11. current — electric
  12. hand — in cards
  13. capital — a city
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — soda
  16. last — finally
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — a law
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. last — to go on
  24. current — happening now

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