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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. capital — money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ball — a great time
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a dance
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bass — low music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. craft — boats
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bass — the fish
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bass — the instrument

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