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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
468
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: last · foot · swing · bowl · branch · safe · capital · mine

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — money
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mine — for digging
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. last — finally
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. capital — a city

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