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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 116 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: capital · club · spell · saw · lean · pitch · wave · staff

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pitch — completely
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. staff — employees
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. spell — magic
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — thin
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. staff — employees
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. club — for dancing

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