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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: field · kid · stand · current · drill · lie · capital · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. current — electric
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. capital — money
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. current — of water
  13. capital — a city
  14. current — happening now
  15. field — a subject
  16. kid — child
  17. drill — army training
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. kid — to tease

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