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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: pitcher · object · fine · bass · capital · net · pop · craft

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bass — low music
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bass — the fish
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. net — in sport
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — soda
  16. fine — all right
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pop — to visit
  21. net — after costs
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — high quality
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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