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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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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: bulb · row · march · pit · capital · safe · pitch · chest

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. capital — a city
  10. pit — a hole
  11. march — music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a line
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitch — completely
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. chest — of your body
  24. march — the month

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