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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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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: deal · capital · row · net · swing · stand · object · key

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. object — an aim
  4. swing — music
  5. key — in music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. object — a thing
  10. stand — to bear
  11. capital — money
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. deal — to handle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. row — a line
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. capital — a city
  20. key — the most important part
  21. object — to protest
  22. net — for catching
  23. row — to paddle
  24. capital — a big letter

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