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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · can · capital · scale · mine · march · swing · date

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. scale — size or range
  5. march — the month
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — money
  8. scale — in music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — music
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. swing — in golf
  20. capital — a city
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. can — to be able to
  24. march — music

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