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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: squash · bulb · capital · suit · face · wave · pit · bass

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. pit — in a race
  8. face — part of the head
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. face — to confront
  24. wave — of the sea

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