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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. drill — the tool
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fork — in a road
  21. drill — army training
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. capital — money

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