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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. swing — music
  4. rule — government
  5. stand — to bear
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. swing — to play on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wound — an injury
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wound — an injury
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. capital — money
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — a law

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