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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: content · stand · swing · key · arm · rush · capital · degree

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. content — happy
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. degree — temperature
  6. content — the amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. capital — a city
  9. swing — to play on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. swing — in golf
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. swing — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. degree — an amount
  20. capital — money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rush — to hurry

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