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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: bay · bass · lean · scale · current · capital · swing · ground

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. current — of water
  3. bass — the fish
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — music
  16. capital — money
  17. ground — the earth
  18. current — electric
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. capital — a city
  22. lean — thin
  23. scale — for weighing
  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