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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 120 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: capital · cabinet · bass · stock · lean · present · current · sharp

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. lean — thin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. current — of water
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — happening now
  8. stock — goods
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — electric
  15. stock — shares
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. present — there
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. present — the time now
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. capital — a city
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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