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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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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: deal · staff · field · ground · suit · last · capital · chip

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ground — the earth
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. capital — money
  7. field — a subject
  8. suit — to fit
  9. staff — a stick
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ground — a position
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — in cards
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. staff — employees
  17. capital — a city
  18. field — farmland
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ground — crushed
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. field — for sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. chip — for betting

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