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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: bass · rush · capital · mate · board · trunk · suit · wave

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. board — to get on
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mate — a partner
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. capital — a city
  10. bass — low music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. suit — clothes
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a committee
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. capital — money
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rush — to hurry

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