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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 116 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. craft — boats
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. capital — money
  10. bore — to drill
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. capital — a city
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. net — in sport
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. key — in music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. key — the most important part
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — to tire
  23. craft — a skill
  24. key — for a lock

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