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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.

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 · board · season · fine · perch · firm · kick · band

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. firm — steady
  3. board — to get on
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. firm — a company
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. season — in sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. capital — a city
  15. perch — the fish
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. capital — money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. band — a ring
  20. firm — decided
  21. fine — high quality
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. band — a music group

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