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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: suit · last · mug · spell · swing · squash · capital · bulb

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. last — to go on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — magic
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — finally
  10. capital — money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. capital — a city
  14. suit — clothes
  15. last — final
  16. mug — a cup
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spell — letters
  19. mug — to rob
  20. suit — to fit
  21. swing — in golf
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mug — a face
  24. spell — a short time

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