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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. march — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. capital — a city
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. swing — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mate — to breed
  24. coach — a trainer

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