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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: pit · jam · capital · hand · bank · nail · key · field

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. hand — in cards
  3. key — in music
  4. capital — a city
  5. field — for sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — in a race
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — money
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bank — for money
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hand — help

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