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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. capital — money
  4. kick — in football
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. capital — a city
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rush — hurry
  18. dip — to sink
  19. scale — in music
  20. toast — bread
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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