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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. capital — a city
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rest — a break
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rest — what's left
  15. capital — money
  16. game — a match
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cap — a hat
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cap — a lid
  24. game — a kind of play

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