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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: bass · can · lash · capital · patient · root · tear · ball

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. ball — a dance
  3. capital — money
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. capital — a city
  11. bass — low music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. can — a tin
  14. tear — to rip
  15. root — of a word
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lash — to lash out

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