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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: net · suit · fork · pop · cue · face · season · capital

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pop — music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. suit — to fit
  7. face — part of the head
  8. season — in sport
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. pop — to visit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. suit — in cards
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — to confront
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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