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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 120 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: scale · capital · deal · stock · cabinet · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. scale — size or range
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. deal — to handle

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