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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · capital · suit · club · press · bass · track · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. suit — clothes
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. capital — money
  6. track — a path
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. squash — to crush
  9. track — to keep track
  10. capital — a city
  11. press — newspapers
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. press — to push
  14. club — a group
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bass — low music
  18. club — for dancing
  19. press — a publisher
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. track — a song
  22. suit — in cards
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. club — for golf

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