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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.

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: pitch · bowl · suit · board · capital · cell · press · can

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — money
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. board — a committee
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cell — a phone
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. can — a tin
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. board — to get on
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. capital — a city
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pitch — completely

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