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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: march · season · mate · capital · press · mouse · rash · fork

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fork — in a road
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mate — a friend
  6. press — to push
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. capital — a city
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. march — the month
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. march — music
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. capital — money
  24. mate — a partner

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