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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. capital — money
  3. court — of law
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lie — to recline
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. court — for sport
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitch — completely
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bat — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. court — of a king
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. perch — for a bird

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