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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: capital · firm · spell · ball · season · rash · drill · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ball — a great time
  3. spell — a short time
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. drill — a practice
  6. season — in sport
  7. rash — a series
  8. spell — magic
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. capital — money
  11. firm — decided
  12. drill — army training
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. season — of the year
  15. capital — a city
  16. firm — a company
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. branch — a division
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. firm — steady
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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