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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: capital · stand · suit · fan · current · press · face · bass

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. press — to push
  6. current — of water
  7. bass — low music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. capital — a city
  12. face — part of the head
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. face — to confront
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. face — to point toward
  18. current — electric
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. current — happening now
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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