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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: temple · capital · bass · stock · bulb · lean · arm · key

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. capital — a city
  8. key — the most important part
  9. capital — money
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — low music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. key — in music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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