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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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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: bank · plane · kick · bay · capital · clip · pit · bass

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bank — for money
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. bass — the fish
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. kick — in football
  12. bank — for money
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bank — of a river
  15. clip — for paper
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bass — low music
  22. clip — a video
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. clip — to cut

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