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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: season · capital · march · toast · nail · trunk · foot · racket

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. capital — money
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — bread
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. march — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. capital — a city
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. march — the month
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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