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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ground — a position
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. suit — to fit
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tear — to rip
  19. club — for golf
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pitch — completely
  22. capital — money
  23. ground — crushed
  24. club — a group

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