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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.

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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: pass · net · field · capital · arm · firm · bore · cap

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. firm — a company
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — for catching
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. field — a subject
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. capital — money
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. net — in sport
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. capital — a city
  18. cap — a lid
  19. field — for sport
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. firm — steady
  23. bore — to tire
  24. field — farmland

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