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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 116 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: firm · pit · bat · content · bore · pass · current · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. content — the amount
  3. current — electric
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pit — a hole
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pit — in a race
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. content — happy
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. current — of water
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pass — a permit
  21. firm — decided
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bat — the animal
  24. capital — a city

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