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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: spell · rush · stick · drill · dip · bass · bark · capital

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. capital — money
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rush — hurry
  10. capital — a city
  11. spell — magic
  12. drill — army training
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. drill — a practice
  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