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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: content · bass · racket · bank · capital · season · bat · chair

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. season — of the year
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. season — in sport
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bass — low music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chair — a leader
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. capital — a city
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bank — for money
  23. content — happy
  24. bank — of a river

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