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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · bowl · suit · board · capital · cell

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cell — a phone
  8. board — to get on
  9. cell — in biology
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. suit — in cards
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. capital — money
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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