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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: foot · hide · season · track · cap · capital · fork · cell

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. capital — money
  7. foot — a measure
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cell — in biology
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. season — in sport
  17. cell — a phone
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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