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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: rule · capital · season · pop · fine · present · nail · bear

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pop — music
  5. season — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — money
  8. pop — soda
  9. rule — a law
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — a gift
  14. fine — high quality
  15. present — there
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — government
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. present — the time now
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. capital — a city

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