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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: swing · bulb · staff · saw · race · bowl · capital · spell

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. staff — a stick
  4. saw — the tool
  5. capital — money
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. spell — letters
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — magic
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — the arms race
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — a city
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. swing — to play on

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