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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · object · capital · mouse · content · fine · wave · bat

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. capital — money
  5. fine — all right
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. capital — a city
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. content — happy
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. object — to protest
  24. content — the amount

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