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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: lean · chip · current · last · swing · rock · capital · bay

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. current — electric
  4. swing — music
  5. capital — a city
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. last — to go on
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — to play on
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. capital — money
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. chip — for betting

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