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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
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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 · rash · lash · calf · season · land · pound · key

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. capital — money
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. season — of the year
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rash — a series
  22. capital — a city
  23. key — in music
  24. season — to add flavour

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