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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · bore · march · swing · rest · cap · tube · capital

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. capital — money
  4. current — of water
  5. swing — music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bore — to tire
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cap — a lid
  19. march — music
  20. capital — a city
  21. tube — the underground
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — a container

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