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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: capital · field · fine · club · bulb · bowl · pit · date

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. field — for sport
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. club — for dancing
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. fine — all right
  10. capital — money
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. date — the fruit
  13. field — a subject
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. field — farmland
  16. club — for golf
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — in a race
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. club — a group
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — a football final

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