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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · capital · trunk · can · swing · safe · present · prune

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. swing — music
  7. capital — money
  8. game — wild animals
  9. can — to be able to
  10. game — a match
  11. present — the time now
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. prune — to trim
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. prune — to trim
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. swing — in golf
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — a city
  22. can — a tin
  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