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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · fine · bass · scale · capital · perch · bound · mark

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bound — certain
  9. bass — low music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — all right
  13. scale — in music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — high quality
  18. capital — money
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mark — a grade
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bound — tied together
  24. capital — a city

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