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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: field · firm · kick · cell · suit · capital

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. firm — decided
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cell — in biology
  6. capital — a city
  7. field — for sport
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. suit — to fit
  11. firm — steady
  12. cell — a phone
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. suit — in cards
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — in football
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. field — farmland

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