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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. capital — a city
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. deal — to handle
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stand — to bear
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitch — completely
  22. capital — money
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. can — a tin

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