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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: track · last · suit · scale · clip · bass · squash · capital

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. clip — to cut
  3. scale — in music
  4. last — to go on
  5. bass — low music
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. track — a path
  11. squash — the sport
  12. suit — clothes
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. clip — for paper
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bass — the fish
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. clip — a video
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. track — a song
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. squash — to crush

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