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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 116 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: stem · capital · kick · deal · pop · swing · mouse · plane

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pop — to visit
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. swing — music
  7. kick — in football
  8. swing — in golf
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. capital — a city
  15. plane — a tool
  16. capital — money
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pop — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mouse — the animal

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