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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: stick · rest · season · capital · net · fall · ball · pass

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — the season
  4. capital — a city
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — for catching
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — of the year
  13. net — in sport
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pass — a permit
  21. season — in sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. net — after costs

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