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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: lie · arm · swing · bowl · capital · rock · trunk · root

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. swing — in golf
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. root — of a plant
  6. capital — a city
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rock — music
  14. root — of a word
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. root — the cause
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. swing — 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