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

Word bank: bass · march · bay · fall · capital · pit · root · temple

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. march — the month
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a word
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bass — the fish
  14. root — the cause
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bass — low music
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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