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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. march — the month
  7. press — newspapers
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. press — to push
  14. bore — to drill
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to tire
  17. capital — money
  18. hand — help
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. march — music
  23. press — a publisher
  24. capital — a big letter

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