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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: bass · capital · rule · wake · lash · ball · content · firm

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bass — the fish
  3. content — the amount
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bass — low music
  7. firm — decided
  8. rule — a law
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. firm — steady
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. firm — a company
  17. ball — a great time
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wake — a trail
  20. capital — a city
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. content — happy
  24. rule — to rule out

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