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

Word bank: racket · swing · vault · cap · capital · jam

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cap — a hat
  6. swing — in golf
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. capital — money
  10. cap — a lid
  11. swing — to play on
  12. capital — a city
  13. cap — of ice
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. vault — a safe

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