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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 116 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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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: capital · deal · net · season · wake · pass · cell · firm

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. firm — steady
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. net — in sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. capital — money
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. season — of the year
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. capital — a city
  19. pass — a permit
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — a company
  24. deal — to handle

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