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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: capital · toast · pitcher · hide · band · object · rash · season

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a music group
  8. capital — money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. object — an aim
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. object — to protest
  18. season — of the year
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. band — a ring
  22. object — a thing
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rash — a series

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