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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: roll · stand · capital · march · firm · current · charge · net

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. net — in sport
  3. capital — money
  4. current — electric
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. capital — a city
  9. roll — a cake
  10. stand — to bear
  11. march — the month
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — after costs
  17. current — of water
  18. march — music
  19. firm — decided
  20. current — happening now
  21. net — for catching
  22. roll — a list
  23. charge — in control
  24. march — the month

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