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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: deal · capital · suit · fall · pitch · pound · cabinet · board

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. capital — money
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitch — completely
  9. board — a committee
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. board — to get on
  15. suit — in cards
  16. capital — a city
  17. pound — a weight
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pitch — a sports field

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