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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
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: capital · season · land · ground · mark · stick · march · hide

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. land — ground
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. capital — a city
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. capital — money
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — to come down
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. march — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. season — of the year
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — a position
  19. land — a country
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. march — the month
  22. season — in sport
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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