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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: perch · calf · bass · suit · capital · last · mug · cue

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mug — a cup
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — finally
  5. capital — a city
  6. bass — low music
  7. capital — money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mug — to rob
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cue — a hint
  20. last — final
  21. mug — a face
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. suit — clothes

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