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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: bat · rule · press · capital · current · bowl · swing · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. press — a publisher
  5. swing — music
  6. capital — a city
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. current — electric
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rule — a law
  12. current — happening now
  13. fine — high quality
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rule — government
  19. press — to push
  20. swing — to play on
  21. capital — money
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. press — newspapers
  24. current — of water

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