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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: saw · racket · rush · capital · bay · bass · press · track

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. track — a song
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bass — the fish
  9. track — a path
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. track — to keep track
  13. capital — a city
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. press — to push
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — money

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