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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: date · deal · swing · object · mug · ground · foot · capital

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. capital — money
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. object — to protest
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. object — a thing
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mug — a cup
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. swing — to play on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. capital — a city
  19. object — an aim
  20. ground — crushed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — a face

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