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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 116 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: mark · nail · fork · mine · swing · plane · capital · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. swing — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mine — for digging
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — in a road
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — in golf
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mark — a trace
  16. capital — money
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — a city
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. fork — a garden tool

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