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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: season · pass · bay · band · net · capital · racket · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. capital — money
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a ring
  16. season — in sport
  17. pass — a permit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — in sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. capital — a big letter
  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