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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — army training
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — a line
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. drill — a practice
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — for money
  16. capital — a city
  17. bass — low music
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — money
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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