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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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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 · saw · rock · bass · march · pitcher · deal · lean

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. capital — money
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rock — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. capital — a city
  8. bass — the fish
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — low music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. march — the month
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lean — thin
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. 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