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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. firm — steady
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. capital — a city
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. court — of a king
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pitch — completely
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. firm — decided
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — a subject
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. can — a tin

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