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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: capital · face · game · toast · mine · bore · jam · bass

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bass — low music
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. capital — a city
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bore — to drill
  22. capital — money
  23. bass — the fish
  24. toast — the most admired

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