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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: spell · season · capital · rush · stick · ground · dip · perch

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. season — in sport
  4. dip — to sink
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — letters
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spell — magic
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. capital — money
  12. season — of the year
  13. ground — a position
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ground — crushed
  20. capital — a city
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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