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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: bore · current · swing · suit · wound · fan · capital · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. suit — to fit
  6. capital — a city
  7. swing — music
  8. capital — money
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. current — electric
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. suit — clothes
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — in cards
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stock — shares
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fan — a supporter

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