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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. swing — to play on
  6. club — for golf
  7. track — a song
  8. swing — music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. track — to keep track
  14. craft — boats
  15. track — a path
  16. rash — a series
  17. stem — to come from
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. club — a group
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. swing — in golf

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