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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 120 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: content · mark · object · race · bass · spring · firm · capital

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. race — humankind
  4. bass — the fish
  5. object — a thing
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. bass — low music
  9. object — an aim
  10. race — a contest
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mark — a grade
  14. object — to protest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spring — the season
  17. firm — decided
  18. content — the amount
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. capital — money
  21. spring — of water
  22. capital — a city
  23. content — happy
  24. spring — a coil

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