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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: swing · bore · fan · field · capital · current · firm · wind

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. field — farmland
  3. firm — steady
  4. current — of water
  5. capital — a city
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. capital — money
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — decided
  16. wind — moving air
  17. current — electric
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. current — happening now
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bore — to tire
  24. swing — to play on

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