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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. capital — money
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. race — a contest
  9. lean — thin
  10. capital — a city
  11. object — an aim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the fish
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. object — a thing
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. race — humankind
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. object — to protest
  22. pit — in a race
  23. race — the arms race
  24. calf — a young animal

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