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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: present · ruler · pass · capital · cold · march · charge · current

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. current — happening now
  3. charge — a price
  4. march — music
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. present — a gift
  7. capital — money
  8. charge — in control
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. present — there
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. present — the time now
  16. current — electric
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. capital — a city
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. current — of water

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