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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitch — completely
  10. capital — a city
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cap — a hat
  14. board — a committee
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cap — a lid
  18. capital — money
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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