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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: kid · capital · suit · swing · craft · squash

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. capital — a city
  6. craft — boats
  7. capital — money
  8. swing — in golf
  9. squash — the sport
  10. suit — clothes
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. suit — to fit
  13. swing — to play on
  14. squash — to crush
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. suit — in cards
  18. swing — music

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