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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: hand · row · swing · scale · capital · can · bore · track

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. track — to keep track
  3. can — a tin
  4. track — a path
  5. capital — money
  6. bore — to drill
  7. row — a line
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. capital — a city
  12. row — to paddle
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bore — to tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — help
  20. track — a song
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. scale — in music
  23. swing — in golf
  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