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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 116 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: sharp · row · swing · can · current · capital · bore · season

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. capital — money
  3. row — a line
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. current — happening now
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. can — to be able to
  13. current — electric
  14. season — in sport
  15. bore — to tire
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. capital — a city
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. swing — in golf
  21. current — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — to paddle
  24. season — of the year

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