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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.

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: deal · bass · pit · snap · stock · capital · lash · rush

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stock — goods
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — shares
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bass — the fish
  16. snap — to click
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pit — a hole
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — low music
  24. deal — an agreement

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