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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: lean · rule · hand · chip · pitch · craft · key · capital

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chip — to eat
  4. capital — money
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hand — help
  7. chip — for betting
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lean — to bend
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lean — thin
  12. rule — a law
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. craft — boats
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. key — for a lock
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rule — government
  21. key — in music
  22. capital — a city
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitch — completely

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