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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 116 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: firm · track · capital · season · stick · stock · coach · spell

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spell — a short time
  3. season — of the year
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. season — in sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — a city
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. firm — steady
  13. track — to keep track
  14. firm — decided
  15. stock — shares
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spell — letters
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stock — goods
  21. spell — magic
  22. capital — money
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. track — a path

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