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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rest — a break
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hand — help
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. field — a subject
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. capital — a city
  17. hand — in cards
  18. kick — in football
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. field — farmland
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hand — part of the body

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