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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 116 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: racket · saw · face · suit · cabinet · squash · capital · bass

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to confront
  8. squash — the sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. suit — clothes
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bass — low music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. suit — in cards

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