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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · key · bass · mate · rush · swing · capital · pitch

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. capital — a city
  4. swing — music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bass — the fish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. capital — money
  12. mate — a friend
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. key — in music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rush — a thrill

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