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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. swing — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. rock — music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. race — the arms race
  10. capital — a city
  11. board — a committee
  12. content — the amount
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to click
  20. race — humankind
  21. board — to get on
  22. swing — to play on
  23. content — happy
  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