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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: pitch · staff · capital · bay · pass · bowl · season · current

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. capital — a city
  4. current — electric
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. staff — employees
  8. season — of the year
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. current — happening now
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. season — in sport
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. capital — money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. current — of water
  24. pass — a permit

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