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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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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: capital · club · present · season · nail · squash · lean · racket

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lean — to bend
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. club — a group
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lean — thin
  12. season — of the year
  13. capital — a city
  14. season — in sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. squash — to crush
  20. club — for golf
  21. squash — the sport
  22. capital — money
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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