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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: current · squash · capital · row · cap · staff · pass · coach

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. current — happening now
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. row — to paddle
  5. staff — employees
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. capital — a city
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cap — a lid
  15. current — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. capital — money
  20. current — electric
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. staff — a stick

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