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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. club — for golf
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. capital — a city
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pound — a weight
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. capital — money
  20. chip — to eat
  21. club — a group
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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