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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.

Words on the sheet
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: rash · capital · kick · ball · swing · squash · march · foot

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. march — the month
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ball — a great time
  7. kick — in football
  8. swing — in golf
  9. squash — the sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. capital — money
  13. march — the month
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rash — hasty
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. march — music
  21. capital — a city
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rash — a series
  24. ball — a dance

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