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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 · land · swing · firm · bay · capital · foot · ball

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. capital — money
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ball — a dance
  5. land — ground
  6. current — happening now
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. firm — steady
  9. capital — a city
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. firm — decided
  12. current — electric
  13. land — a country
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ball — a great time
  19. current — of water
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. firm — a company
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. swing — music

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