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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · ball · hand · capital · wave · bass · pound · stem

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ball — a great time
  6. capital — a city
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ball — a dance
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. hand — help
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. capital — money
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wave — with your hand

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