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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
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 · plane · capital · track · calf · chip · suit · stock

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chip — for betting
  3. capital — a city
  4. track — a path
  5. plane — a tool
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — a song
  11. field — a subject
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stock — shares
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. capital — money
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chip — to eat
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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