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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: rash · rule · bay · foot · field · clip · plane · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rule — a law
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rule — government
  11. clip — for paper
  12. field — for sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. clip — to cut
  15. field — a subject
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. capital — a city
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. field — farmland
  23. clip — a video
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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