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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.

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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: wave · bound · perch · ball · capital · mug · saw · bass

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bound — certain
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ball — a dance
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mug — a face
  9. bass — the fish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — to rob

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