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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: mouse · branch · deal · pop · hide · firm · bass · capital

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. firm — decided
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bass — low music
  6. capital — a city
  7. branch — a division
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pop — music
  11. firm — a company
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. capital — money
  14. pop — soda
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — to visit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. firm — steady

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