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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · swing · club · hide · can · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. club — for golf
  3. swing — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. swing — in golf
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. swing — to play on
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. club — a group
  18. kick — in football

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