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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.

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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: spring · chip · present · pitch · pass · net · capital · craft

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. net — in sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. craft — boats
  5. chip — for betting
  6. present — a gift
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitch — completely
  9. capital — money
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. present — the time now
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. present — there
  17. net — after costs
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. capital — a city
  22. chip — to eat
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. chip — in a computer

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