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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: bat · current · suit · capital · land · pass · swing · bank

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. current — of water
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — a country
  9. current — electric
  10. suit — clothes
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. suit — in cards
  13. swing — music
  14. land — ground
  15. swing — in golf
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. land — to come down
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. swing — to play on
  22. capital — a city
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bank — for money

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