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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
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: bay · leaves · swing · date · mouse · track · bass · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bass — low music
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. swing — in golf
  16. track — a song
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mouse — the animal

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