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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 · ground · capital · toast · racket · key · cabinet · rock

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rock — music
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. capital — money
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ground — a position
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. capital — a city
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ground — the earth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. toast — bread
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ground — crushed
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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