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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bore — to tire
  19. craft — boats
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. capital — a big letter

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