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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 124 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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. toast — bread
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. firm — steady
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — a trace
  11. capital — money
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitch — completely
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — a city
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mark — a grade

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