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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: swing · pit · field · club · calf · spell · capital · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. capital — a city
  12. pit — a hole
  13. swing — music
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. capital — money
  20. club — for dancing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. field — a subject
  24. calf — of the leg

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