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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.

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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: bass · pass · temple · mouse · mug · tear · capital · toast

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tear — to rip
  4. toast — bread
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mug — a face
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pass — a permit
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. capital — a city
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. capital — money
  19. bass — low music
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. temple — a place of worship

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