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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 116 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tube — a container
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. key — in music
  10. ground — a position
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. capital — a city
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. capital — money
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tube — the underground
  24. key — for a lock

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