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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 116 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: kick · key · bass · wave · wind · swing · suit · capital

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. suit — clothes
  6. capital — a city
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — in football
  10. bass — low music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. swing — in golf
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. swing — music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. swing — to play on
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. key — in music
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. capital — money
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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