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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 120 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: rule · racket · ball · capital · wave · craft · season · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. swing — to play on
  9. craft — boats
  10. season — of the year
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. swing — in golf
  17. craft — a skill
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. capital — money
  21. rule — a law
  22. capital — a city
  23. ball — a dance
  24. season — in sport

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