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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pitch — completely
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fork — in a road
  15. suit — clothes
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ball — a dance
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. scale — size or range
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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