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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · capital · firm · leaves · ruler · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. field — for sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. capital — a city
  5. firm — decided
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. firm — steady
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. field — a subject
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. capital — money
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. firm — a company
  17. capital — a big letter
  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