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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: suit · object · season · band · trunk · patient · capital · pitch

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. band — a ring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pitch — completely
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — of the year
  14. capital — a city
  15. season — in sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. object — an aim
  22. band — a music group
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. suit — clothes

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