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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. season — of the year
  3. capital — a city
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. field — a subject
  6. bore — to drill
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fall — the season
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. season — in sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — a lid
  16. field — farmland
  17. fall — to drop
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. capital — money
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. field — for sport

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