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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: swing · capital · pop · current · safe · nail · racket · roll

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — to play on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. capital — a city
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. roll — a cake
  16. capital — money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. current — electric
  21. pop — music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. current — of water
  24. roll — a list

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