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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bass — low music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spell — magic
  14. bass — the fish
  15. capital — money
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pass — a permit
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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