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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.

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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: roll · rest · season · march · suit · deal · bass · capital

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bass — the fish
  4. capital — money
  5. march — music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rest — a break
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. roll — a list
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — the month
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. capital — a city
  17. roll — a cake
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. suit — in cards
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — what's left

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