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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.

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: cap · current · pitch · suit · stick · can · field · season

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — farmland
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. field — for sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — completely
  10. field — a subject
  11. season — in sport
  12. current — happening now
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — of the year

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