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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: fork · lash · racket · key · leaves · capital · march · jam

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. key — in music
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. march — music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. march — the month
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. key — for a lock
  23. march — the month
  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