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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 120 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: swing · mark · chip · cabinet · can · sharp · pop · capital

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. capital — money
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pop — to visit
  17. capital — a city
  18. pop — soda
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pop — 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