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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.

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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: season · suit · bay · capital · sharp · race · straw · jam

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. capital — a city
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. suit — in cards
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. suit — clothes
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. season — in sport
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — to fit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. capital — a big letter

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