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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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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: arm · kick · scale · rule · capital · safe · swing · press

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. scale — in music
  12. rule — a law
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. press — to push
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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