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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: leaves · capital · pitch · club · land · calf · hide · saw

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. club — for dancing
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. club — for golf
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — a country
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — ground
  16. club — a group
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. capital — a city
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. capital — money

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