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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 120 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: fall · mate · capital · firm · bank · land · field · bear

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bank — for money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — a country
  7. field — a subject
  8. land — ground
  9. mate — a friend
  10. firm — a company
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. capital — a city
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bear — the animal
  16. field — farmland
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — to come down
  22. mate — a partner
  23. capital — money
  24. field — for sport

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