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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: craft · file · capital · track · swing · squash · dip · toast

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. capital — a city
  3. dip — to sink
  4. toast — bread
  5. file — a document
  6. swing — to play on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. track — a song
  9. squash — the sport
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — money
  13. craft — boats
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. track — to keep track
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. track — a path
  18. craft — a skill
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. swing — music

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