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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
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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: mark · jam · ball · capital · field · cap · staff · toast

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. staff — employees
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. toast — bread
  7. mark — a trace
  8. field — farmland
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cap — of ice
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. capital — a city
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — a grade
  21. capital — money
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a great time
  24. staff — a stick

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