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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — low music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — a group
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wind — moving air
  16. club — for golf
  17. fall — the season
  18. capital — a city
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. capital — money
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cabinet — ministers

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