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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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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: present · field · stick · bay · capital · kick

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. present — the time now
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — there
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — a gift
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. capital — money
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. field — for sport
  16. kick — in football
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  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