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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: fork · capital · bear · pit · pitch · chair

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. capital — a city
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. capital — money
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fork — a garden tool

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