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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.

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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: capital · pitch · foot · bore · field · arm · rock · trunk

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. field — a subject
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. field — farmland
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. field — for sport
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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