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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: bulb · saw · capital · cabinet · stem · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. capital — a city
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stem — to come from
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. capital — money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — the tool

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