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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 · rock · capital · bark · lie · snap · pitcher · safe

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — a city
  5. swing — to play on
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to click
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bark — to shout
  24. capital — money

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