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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
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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: stick · fan · capital · leaves · bass · hand · mark · swing

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — help
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mark — a grade
  16. capital — a city
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bass — the instrument

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