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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 · season · wound · pit · board · firm · court · prune

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. capital — money
  3. prune — to trim
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. court — of law
  11. firm — steady
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — for sport
  14. firm — a company
  15. season — of the year
  16. pit — a hole
  17. court — of a king
  18. firm — decided
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. capital — a city
  22. board — to get on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — a committee

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