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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: kick · cue · march · field · mine · object · plane · capital

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. object — an aim
  3. mine — for digging
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. field — for sport
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. field — farmland
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. object — to protest
  14. march — the month
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — a thing
  21. field — a subject
  22. march — the month
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cue — a hint

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