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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: dip · capital · clip · chair · drill · bay · swing · suit

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chair — a leader
  3. clip — for paper
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. drill — army training
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. swing — to play on
  11. clip — a video
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. swing — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. clip — to cut
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. drill — the 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