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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: tear · saw · rock · suit · season · capital · stick · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rock — music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — a stone
  7. suit — clothes
  8. capital — money
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. suit — in cards
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. capital — a city
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in 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