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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: leaves · capital · squash · season · rash · present · swing · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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. leaves — to go away
  4. season — in sport
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. squash — the sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — the time now
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. squash — to crush
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. swing — music
  24. fork — in a road

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