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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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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: racket · capital · swing · present · craft · squash · cell · suit

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. squash — to crush
  4. capital — a city
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. swing — music
  10. present — the time now
  11. squash — the sport
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cell — in biology
  14. swing — in golf
  15. suit — in cards
  16. present — a gift
  17. suit — to fit
  18. craft — a skill
  19. present — there
  20. capital — money
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cell — a phone
  24. craft — boats

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