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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: date · field · capital · pitcher · bank · toast · jam · lean

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — to bend
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — money
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. date — the fruit
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. toast — bread
  18. field — farmland
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lean — thin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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