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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: last · plane · pitch · roll · capital · bank · object · field

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. object — a thing
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. last — final
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. field — a subject
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. field — farmland
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. field — for sport
  20. capital — a city
  21. object — an aim
  22. last — finally
  23. object — to protest
  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