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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cap — a lid
  3. capital — a city
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cap — of ice
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. capital — money
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. ruler — for measuring

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