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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. capital — a city
  4. scale — size or range
  5. swing — music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. scale — in music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. swing — to play on

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