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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. field — farmland
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. capital — a city
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — a subject
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stand — to bear
  15. field — for sport
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. suit — clothes
  24. capital — money

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