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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. capital — a city
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. board — a committee
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rash — a series
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rest — what's left
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kick — in football
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. board — to get 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