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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pop — music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pop — soda
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. capital — a city
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. capital — money
  24. racket — for tennis

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