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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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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: firm · field · pit · object · suit · rule · capital · fall

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. firm — a company
  3. suit — in cards
  4. object — an aim
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. object — a thing
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. firm — steady
  9. rule — government
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rule — a law
  12. firm — decided
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. capital — money
  16. fall — to drop
  17. field — farmland
  18. capital — a city
  19. pit — a hole
  20. object — to protest
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fall — the season
  23. field — for sport
  24. suit — clothes

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