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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: capital · present · bank · face · prune · swing · kick · rock

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. face — part of the head
  3. swing — to play on
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. present — a gift
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — a stone
  9. prune — to trim
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kick — in football
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — there
  16. bank — of a river
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bank — for money
  19. rock — music
  20. face — to confront
  21. capital — money
  22. swing — in golf
  23. present — the time now
  24. kick — a thrill

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