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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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468
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: dip · ground · nail · cabinet · bowl · capital · fall · swing

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — money
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — a city
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fall — to drop
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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