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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: rush · game · cap · capital · swing · bank · object · chip

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. object — an aim
  4. cap — a hat
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a lid
  8. capital — money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. object — a thing
  12. swing — in golf
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. swing — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chip — to eat
  19. swing — to play on
  20. object — to protest
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. capital — a city
  24. rush — to hurry

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