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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 116 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. capital — money
  14. charge — electricity
  15. track — to keep track
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — a song
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. track — a path
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. charge — a price

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