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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rule — government
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rule — a law
  12. wax — to grow
  13. swing — in golf
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — the season
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cue — for pool
  20. capital — money
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cue — a hint
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bowl — to roll

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