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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: safe · ground · capital · bass · ball · bore · march · press

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bass — low music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. march — the month
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — money
  17. march — music
  18. capital — a city
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — a position
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. safe — a strongbox

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