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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 · rash · pitch · present · wave · swing

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. present — the time now
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. present — there
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. capital — money
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rash — a series
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. present — a gift

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