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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: can · capital · lie · chip · foot · prune · swing · pitch

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitch — completely
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chip — for betting
  15. swing — to play on
  16. can — a tin
  17. capital — money
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chip — to eat
  21. capital — a city
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lie — to recline
  24. can — a tin

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