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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. staff — employees
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. swing — music
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rest — a break
  7. swing — to play on
  8. staff — employees
  9. toast — bread
  10. capital — a city
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. swing — in golf
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. rest — what's left
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. capital — money

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