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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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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — music
  6. club — for golf
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. swing — in golf
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. club — a group
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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