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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · bass · capital · drill · stand · bay · racket · scale

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. scale — in music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. drill — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. capital — money
  16. bass — low music
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. capital — a city
  22. drill — army training
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stand — to bear

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