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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — a grade
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mug — to rob
  11. face — to confront
  12. pitch — completely
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mug — a face
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. face — part of the head

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