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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: racket · face · pass · temple · pound · capital · bass · bulb

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — part of the head
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — to confront
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bass — low music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — a city
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pound — a weight

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