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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: club · pop · dip · capital · kick · plane · foot · bass

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pop — to visit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. club — for dancing
  10. capital — a city
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bass — low music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. capital — money
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. kick — in football
  19. club — for golf
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. plane — a tool
  24. dip — to sink

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