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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: stem · rock · foot · current · capital · firm · rule · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. capital — a city
  4. firm — decided
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rule — a law
  7. current — happening now
  8. rock — music
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rule — government
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — to come from
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. firm — a company
  18. rock — a stone
  19. firm — steady
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. current — electric
  23. capital — money
  24. stem — a stem cell

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