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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 120 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: suit · straw · capital · stand · squash · track · last · prune

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. track — a path
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — to crush
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. track — a song
  18. capital — a city
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. capital — money
  23. stand — to bear
  24. squash — the sport

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