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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · deal · charge · leaves · field · pitcher · mate · capital

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mate — a partner
  4. field — a subject
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. race — humankind
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. race — the arms race
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. mate — a friend
  14. charge — electricity
  15. capital — a city
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. field — farmland
  19. capital — money
  20. race — a contest
  21. deal — to handle
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — for sport
  24. deal — an agreement

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