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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: squash · capital · can · season · trunk · pit · wind · bear

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. season — of the year
  9. capital — a city
  10. season — in sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. capital — money
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. squash — the sport

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