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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. firm — a company
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. firm — steady
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. firm — decided
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — clever
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — a city
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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