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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 120 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
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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: rush · tube · ground · bass · arm · scale · capital · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tube — a container
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ground — a position
  10. bass — low music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. capital — money
  19. scale — in music
  20. capital — a city
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ground — crushed
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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