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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. spring — a coil
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. spring — of water
  8. perch — the fish
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. capital — money
  13. charge — in control
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spring — the season
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pit — in a race
  18. charge — a price
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pit — a hole
  24. arm — part of the body

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