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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · pitcher · kick · present · capital · ball

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. capital — money
  5. present — the time now
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — a gift
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — there
  18. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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