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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · stand · capital · can · net · present · bass · race

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. present — a gift
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — for catching
  6. capital — money
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. race — a contest
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. present — there
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. present — the time now
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bass — the fish
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. capital — a city
  22. net — after costs
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — a tin

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