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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. capital — a city
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. capital — money
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — to protest
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitch — completely
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. object — a thing
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. tube — the underground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. object — an aim
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. dip — to dunk

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