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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. court — of law
  7. capital — money
  8. pitch — completely
  9. charge — a price
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. charge — in control
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lie — to recline
  14. charge — electricity
  15. court — of a king
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. court — for sport
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. capital — a city
  24. lie — an untruth

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