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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pitch — completely
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spell — a short time
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. clip — to cut
  14. spell — letters
  15. clip — a video
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — magic
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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