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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: tear · capital · swing · bound · calf · dip · pound · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a city
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bound — obliged
  14. dip — to sink
  15. tear — to rip
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. capital — a big letter

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