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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: swing · mate · arm · pound · rock · can · capital · last

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pound — a weight
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rock — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mate — to breed
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. capital — money
  20. last — final
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. capital — a city

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