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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 120 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bass — low music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. capital — money
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. row — a line
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. squash — to crush
  24. capital — a city

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