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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: hand · field · court · capital · fine · row · suit · cabinet

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fine — all right
  4. suit — clothes
  5. capital — a city
  6. field — for sport
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — of a king
  10. hand — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. field — a subject
  13. court — of law
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. row — a line
  16. hand — help
  17. capital — money
  18. suit — in cards
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. court — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. cabinet — ministers

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