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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: capital · pitch · pit · scale · bay · cabinet · suit · field

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. field — for sport
  6. scale — size or range
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. suit — clothes
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. capital — money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a city
  22. pit — in a race
  23. scale — in music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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