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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: pitch · bound · cap · pass · current · capital · mug · jam

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mug — a face
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mug — to rob
  10. current — happening now
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cap — of ice
  18. current — of water
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. capital — money
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cap — a lid

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