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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 · swing · pitcher · face · nail · mouse · capital · coach

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. face — part of the head
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. swing — music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. swing — to play on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. capital — money
  22. face — to confront
  23. current — happening now
  24. capital — a big letter

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