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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 120 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: stand · bass · calf · pass · chip · capital · bound · sharp

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bound — certain
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chip — to eat
  23. capital — a city
  24. bass — low music

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