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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: row · suit · drill · capital · coach · current · present · bound

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bound — certain
  6. drill — army training
  7. capital — a city
  8. present — the time now
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bound — obliged
  11. drill — the tool
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bound — tied together
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — a gift
  20. suit — to fit
  21. row — a line
  22. present — there
  23. row — to paddle
  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