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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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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. field — for sport
  3. capital — a city
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. present — there
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. capital — money
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stock — goods
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — farmland
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. deal — a big deal

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