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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 116 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: capital · plane · bank · degree · bass · bat · ruler · suit

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. suit — in cards
  3. capital — a city
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bank — for money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. suit — to fit
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. bass — the fish
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bass — low music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bank — for money
  24. plane — an aircraft

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