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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: capital · bark · sharp · suit · spell · scale · stock · season

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bark — to shout
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. scale — size or range
  5. capital — a city
  6. suit — clothes
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. season — of the year
  9. suit — to fit
  10. scale — in music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stock — shares
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. capital — money
  19. spell — magic
  20. season — in sport
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stock — goods
  23. spell — a short time
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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