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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.

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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: saw · capital · march · mouse · stand · bass · dip · mine

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — to bear
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. march — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. capital — money
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. march — the month
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. capital — a city

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