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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. capital — a city
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. kick — in football
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bass — low music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bass — the instrument

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