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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: bass · capital · rock · cabinet · bear · drill · spell · pit

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — money
  3. spell — magic
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spell — letters
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rock — music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. capital — a city
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bass — low music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. drill — army training
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bass — the fish

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