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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.

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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: capital · pitch · game · ground · club · land · tube · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — the underground
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. tube — a container
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. capital — money
  9. game — a match
  10. land — a country
  11. club — a group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. club — for dancing
  17. capital — a city
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ground — a position
  20. land — to come down
  21. club — for golf
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. land — ground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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