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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: trunk · capital · bay · ball · field · firm · present · pit

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. firm — steady
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. capital — a city
  5. pit — a hole
  6. field — a subject
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. field — farmland
  10. present — there
  11. capital — money
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. present — a gift
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. firm — a company
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. firm — decided
  19. pit — in a race
  20. present — the time now
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ball — a dance

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