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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. capital — a city
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. march — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — completely
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rash — on the skin

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