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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. capital — a city
  3. march — the month
  4. club — a group
  5. march — music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lean — thin
  13. scale — in music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. scale — size or range
  18. club — for dancing
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. club — for golf

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