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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: cap · toast · stick · current · chest · capital · bass · mark

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. chest — a box
  7. toast — bread
  8. bass — the fish
  9. current — happening now
  10. capital — a city
  11. chest — of your body
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — of water
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cap — a lid
  19. current — electric
  20. capital — money
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bass — low music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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