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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.

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: field · saw · root · capital · scale · object · present · arm

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. field — for sport
  3. capital — money
  4. field — a subject
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — an aim
  10. present — the time now
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. capital — a city
  16. root — of a word
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. field — farmland
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. present — a gift
  23. root — of a plant
  24. present — there

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