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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · trunk · game · bass · roll · lash

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bass — low music
  4. roll — a list
  5. capital — money
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. game — wild animals
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. game — a match
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. capital — a city
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bass — the fish
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bass — the instrument

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