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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: rush · track · march · rash · ground · coach · capital · season

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. ground — a position
  5. rash — a series
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rash — hasty
  8. capital — a city
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. track — a song
  17. season — in sport
  18. march — the month
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. season — of the year
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. capital — money
  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