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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rest — a break
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — a thing
  22. firm — steady
  23. capital — a city
  24. bass — the fish

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