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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. capital — money
  7. swing — to play on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. capital — a city
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stem — to come from
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — music
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pound — a weight
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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