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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 116 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 · capital · mark · face · stick · cell · press · object

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. capital — money
  3. object — an aim
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. press — to push
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitch — completely
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. object — a thing
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mark — a grade
  20. capital — a city
  21. press — newspapers
  22. face — part of the head
  23. press — a publisher
  24. object — to protest

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