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

Word bank: pitch · cap · rest · calf · patient · kick · deal · capital

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — a city
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — completely
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cap — a hat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. deal — to handle
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cap — a lid
  24. patient — a sick person

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