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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 120 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 · capital · fine · lie · cabinet · march · ground · cue

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. capital — a city
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fine — all right
  16. march — the month
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. capital — money
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — the earth

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