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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.

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: net · leaves · spring · march · squash · fine · row · capital

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. row — a line
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. capital — money
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. spring — a coil
  10. squash — to crush
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. squash — the sport
  13. net — in sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — after costs
  16. fine — all right
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. march — the month
  20. capital — a city
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. net — for catching
  24. fine — high quality

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