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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
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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: fan · plane · pitch · foot · staff · capital · safe · coach

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. staff — a stick
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitch — completely
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. plane — a tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. capital — a city
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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