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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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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 · capital · foot · suit · wave · press · march · rest

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. swing — in golf
  3. suit — to fit
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rest — a break
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rest — what's left
  8. press — a publisher
  9. swing — music
  10. capital — money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. press — newspapers
  13. march — music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. foot — a measure
  17. capital — a city
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — to push
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rest — what's left

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