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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — in football
  7. face — part of the head
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pitch — completely
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — help
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. face — to point toward
  17. capital — money
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. face — to confront

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