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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: capital · trunk · bank · swing · spell · scale · rock · ground

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spell — magic
  6. scale — in music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ground — the earth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. swing — to play on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. spell — letters
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. capital — money
  22. spell — a short time
  23. scale — for weighing
  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