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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: track · tear · nail · capital · ball · suit · season · rush

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ball — a great time
  4. tear — from crying
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ball — a dance
  8. track — a song
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. suit — clothes
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a path
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — money
  24. tear — to rip

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