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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: rash · capital · foot · can · kid · bear · pitch · jam

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. foot — a measure
  5. capital — money
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. capital — a city
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pitch — completely
  13. can — to be able to
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. rash — hasty
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bear — to put up with

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