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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 · field · chair · pop · nail · game · jam · capital

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. field — farmland
  11. game — wild animals
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pop — music
  14. capital — money
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. field — for sport
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. capital — a city
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pop — soda
  23. game — a match
  24. field — a subject

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