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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: prune · swing · suit · nail · capital · chip · ground · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. capital — a city
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — to fit
  9. swing — to play on
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. chip — for betting
  15. prune — to trim
  16. swing — in golf
  17. chip — to eat
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — crushed
  22. swing — music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ground — the earth

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