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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: capital · safe · current · lash · suit · pitcher · band · field

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. suit — in cards
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — to fit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. suit — clothes
  17. capital — a city
  18. band — a ring
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. field — farmland
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. capital — money

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