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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · firm · fine · spell · capital · rock · net · current

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fine — all right
  3. capital — money
  4. current — of water
  5. rock — a stone
  6. spell — magic
  7. firm — decided
  8. current — happening now
  9. rock — music
  10. net — after costs
  11. press — newspapers
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. net — for catching
  14. spell — letters
  15. capital — a city
  16. firm — a company
  17. fine — high quality
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — electric
  22. firm — steady
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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