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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: bass · rush · roll · calf · swing · capital · bear · cap

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bass — the fish
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cap — a lid
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. roll — a list
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. capital — money
  14. swing — in golf
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bass — low music
  24. roll — on a roll

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