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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: band · bay · bass · can · shower · racket · pound · capital

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — low music
  4. band — a ring
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. shower — rain
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — money
  11. band — a music group
  12. pound — a weight
  13. capital — a city
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. shower — to wash
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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