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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: pop · capital · bear · lean · toast · prune · pit · swing

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. toast — bread
  3. pop — to visit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. swing — to play on
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pit — in a race
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — thin
  14. swing — music
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. capital — money
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pit — a hole
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pop — music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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