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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 · ground · rush · scale · chair · bass · game · capital

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — a match
  5. scale — in music
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. capital — a city
  10. bass — low music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the fish
  22. capital — money
  23. rush — hurry
  24. capital — a big letter

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