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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 120 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: dip · staff · present · swing · capital · foot · rash · race

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. staff — employees
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. swing — in golf
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. race — humankind
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — hasty
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. race — the arms race
  14. dip — to sink
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. race — a contest
  18. staff — a stick
  19. present — there
  20. foot — a measure
  21. capital — money
  22. present — a gift
  23. swing — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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