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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: capital · fork · mouse · toast · pitcher · mate · scale · season

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mate — to breed
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. toast — bread
  15. scale — in music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — a friend

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