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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.

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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 · field · pass · lie · can · bear · mouse · last

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. capital — a city
  3. field — farmland
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. capital — money
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — to go on
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pass — a permit
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. can — a tin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

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