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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. capital — a city
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bass — low music
  6. land — to come down
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. capital — money
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. charge — a price
  12. rock — a stone
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. tube — a container
  15. land — a country
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bass — the fish
  19. deal — to handle
  20. charge — in control
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rock — music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tube — in a tire

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