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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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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: swing · capital · stand · jam · saw · bear · leaves · arm

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. capital — a city
  10. stand — to bear
  11. saw — the tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. capital — money
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bear — the animal

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