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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: bass · perch · firm · racket · capital · march · bay · cap

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. march — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. firm — decided
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. firm — steady
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — the month
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bass — the fish
  18. capital — a city
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. firm — a company
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bass — low music
  23. capital — money
  24. cap — a hat

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