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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. swing — in golf
  3. craft — boats
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. object — to protest
  6. capital — a city
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. swing — to play on
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kid — child
  12. capital — money
  13. pop — soda
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pop — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. can — a tin
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. swing — music
  24. can — to be able to

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