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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 · tube · bay · stock · capital · saw · arm · pitch

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. field — for sport
  5. pitch — completely
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. capital — money
  9. field — farmland
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tube — a container
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. field — a subject
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stock — goods
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. capital — a city

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