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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pound — a weight
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. capital — money
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — a line
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. dip — to sink

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