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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. firm — decided
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitch — completely
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — a city
  13. firm — a company
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. capital — money
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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