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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: march · stand · capital · ball · spring · wake · trunk · suit

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. march — music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spring — a coil
  5. capital — money
  6. spring — the season
  7. stand — to bear
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ball — a great time
  19. capital — a city
  20. spring — of water
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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