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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
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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: pop · bound · suit · bass · shower · hide · bank · capital

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bass — low music
  3. bound — certain
  4. pop — soda
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bank — for money
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bank — for money
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — a city
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bass — the fish
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bound — tied together
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pop — music
  21. capital — money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pop — to visit
  24. hide — animal skin

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