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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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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: bore · cap · field · firm · pitch · content · fork · rash

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — a hat
  4. field — farmland
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. firm — a company
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. content — happy
  12. bore — to drill
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. field — a subject
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rash — a series
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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