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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 116 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — to confront
  4. capital — a city
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. capital — money
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a face
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — part of the head
  23. object — to protest
  24. mug — a cup

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