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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.

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: racket · key · capital · current · field · pitcher · bear · fall

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. key — in music
  3. field — a subject
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — the most important part
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fall — the season
  9. field — farmland
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — for sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — money
  15. current — of water
  16. capital — a city
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. current — electric
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fall — to drop

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