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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: capital · court · bear · wake · field · hide · ground · suit

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bear — the animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. court — of law
  5. field — farmland
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. field — for sport
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. capital — a city
  15. suit — clothes
  16. capital — money
  17. court — for sport
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. suit — to fit
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. court — of a king

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