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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 120 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: can · content · plane · track · season · capital · fork · key

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. can — to be able to
  5. content — the amount
  6. fork — in a road
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. track — a path
  9. key — the most important part
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. season — in sport
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. plane — a tool
  16. content — happy
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. capital — money
  22. key — in music
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. season — of the year

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