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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
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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: patient · object · key · stock · swing · pitch · capital · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. field — for sport
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. object — an aim
  9. capital — money
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitch — completely
  12. swing — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — the most important part
  16. object — a thing
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. key — in music
  19. object — to protest
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. capital — a city
  23. field — farmland
  24. swing — in golf

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