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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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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: ground · foot · capital · swing · spell · saw · staff · bulb

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — crushed
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. capital — a city
  6. staff — a stick
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. ground — the earth
  9. swing — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spell — letters
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. swing — to play on
  19. capital — money
  20. ground — a position
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — in golf

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