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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
468
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: season · ball · capital · kick · field · pass · stand · fine

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. field — a subject
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. season — in sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. fine — high quality
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. capital — a city
  13. pass — a permit
  14. field — for sport
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fine — all right
  18. capital — money
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. field — farmland
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stand — for spectators

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