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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.

Words on the sheet
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: land · rash · stick · bear · season · capital · ball · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. season — of the year
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. capital — money
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rash — hasty
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. land — to come down
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — a country
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — a series
  21. capital — a city
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. ball — a round shape

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