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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: bay · deal · capital · fan · press · track · safe · field

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. field — for sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. field — a subject
  7. track — to keep track
  8. field — farmland
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. press — a publisher
  13. track — a path
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. track — a song
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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